Man in dressing gown flees police in morning raid

The pursuit and arrest of the man in the dressing gown was captured from the air by a police helicopter

A man in a dressing gown was caught attempting to flee police over a back garden fence during a morning raid.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said it apprehended 22 men and two women, including one man who was caught trying to run by hopping fences in his robe.

The suspects, aged between 18 and 45, were arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs.

It came after 300 officers from GMP executed warrants on houses across Greater Manchester on Tuesday morning.

Hundreds of snap bags of drugs and £10,000 in cash were also seized.

'A warning'

GMP said the move was part of Operation Vulcan Piccadilly, which aims to tackle drugs supply in Piccadilly Gardens.

The undercover operation launched in 2023 and was the product of hundreds of hours of interactions with locals, residents, and partners from across Manchester, police said.

“We know how deeply the drugs trade impacts our communities and the violence and depravity it brings with it, which is why we have launched such a major operation to tackle it," Det Sgt Matt Donnelly from Operation Vulcan said.

"By arresting 24 people this morning, I can confidently say we have dismantled and disrupted several different county lines and local drug networks.

"But we won’t be complacent, and this should be a warning for anyone who thinks criminal activity is welcome in our city.

“We want to make sure criminals are living a life of high anxiety, and I hope that anyone who considers coming to Piccadilly Gardens to deal drugs is constantly looking over their shoulder."