Police issue statement on 'vigilantes' roaming Rochdale streets after residents' pleas

The Heywood Community Guard (HCG), a vigilante group formed to “keep women and children safe,” is currently active in Heywood but under police scrutiny. Local councillors, led by Coun Angela Brown, are urging Greater Manchester Police to manage the group more closely due to concerns about intimidation in the community, especially around school gates. A previous founder, Adam Farrell, who received a prison sentence for a violent, racially charged incident, is no longer part of the group. Despite claims of racist remarks circulating in a WhatsApp group linked to the HCG, founder Jamie Thomason insists those involved in such behaviour are not part of the patrols. Many residents, particularly women, have expressed anxiety over the group’s presence and have asked for increased professional policing to restore safety and peace in the area. The HCG was created after an anti-immigration protest last year, which sparked controversy and prompted calls for clearer distinctions between community safety and vigilantism.

Read the full article at Manchester Evening News