Police granted gang injunction after Salford shootings

An injunction giving powers to prevent gang-related violence in Salford has been granted to Greater Manchester Police following a spate of shootings.

The civil order allows police to put restrictions on people known to be involved in organised criminal groups.

Police are investigating an escalating feud between rival groups in the area.

Ch Supt Kevin Mulligan said the force was using "a range of multi-agency tactics to disrupt organised crime and injunctions are one of the tools".

GMP have made almost 500 arrests related to organised crime in and around Salford in the past 12 months.

A spokesman said four individuals had been issued with restrictions since Saturday.

Powers granted by the injunction allow police to bar people known to be involved in organised crime from certain neighbourhoods or order them to take part in rehabilitative activities.

A breach of the injunction is punishable by up to two years in prison or an unlimited fine.

Mr Mulligan said recent shooting incidents has "quite rightly caused a large amount of concern within the community".

"Throughout the last two years, we have consistently used a range of multi-agency tactics to disrupt and dismantle organised crime groups and injunctions are one of a range of tools we can use.

"Organised crime groups cause significant and lasting harm to Salford's communities through fuelling violence, creating an atmosphere of fear and drawing young people into criminality and we welcome anything that will help us tackle those problems."

The injunction, which was granted at Manchester County Court on Saturday, follows the issuing of a "significant number" of threat-to-life warnings by GMP.