The shocking scale of violence and abuse against Greater Manchester's council workers

Nearly 6,000 council workers in Greater Manchester reported assaults and abuse over the last three years, with 2,062 incidents logged in the year ending March 2025—an increase of 17 per cent from the previous year. Rochdale was the worst affected, with 1,931 cases, while Tameside followed with 1,169. Fortunately, many incidents resulted in no injuries, and councils like Tameside are implementing safety measures, including training, risk assessments, and support services for their staff.

Teachers, especially in schools under the council’s authority, were the most impacted, facing the majority of attacks, including serious injuries. Disturbingly, there were also reports of racial and sexual assaults targeting various staff members. Bury Borough Council had only 11 reported cases from 2022 to 2024, but they saw a spike with seven in just the first three months of 2025.

Both Rochdale and Tameside councils emphasised their commitment to staff safety and urged reporting of any incidents, stressing that any form of abuse is unacceptable.

Read the full article at Manchester Evening News