Eight arrests in robbery crackdown

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Eight men have been arrested in a crackdown on robbery and burglary in Greater Manchester and Cheshire.

Three of them were arrested following raids in Middleton and Rochdale this morning.

Five other men were also arrested.

The arrests follow around 40 robbery and burglary offences in Greater Manchester and Cheshire from March 2008.

Men often armed with knives, bars and hammers have threatened people with violence, stealing high performance cars and using them for other burglaries and robberies, finally abandoning them in the Rochdale area.

In one case, where the offenders tried to steal a Volkswagen Golf GTI, a 13-year-old boy was grabbed around the throat while the offenders threatened him and his mother with a metal bar, before they made off in already stolen BMW.

Two addresses in Middleton and one address in Withington were targeted today. The eight men, aged between 18 and 25, have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit robbery and burglary.

Machetes and a number of other items were also recovered.

Chief Inspector Stuart Barton, leading Operation Recessed, said: "This is a case of organised crime being committed by dangerous criminals targeting innocent members of the public.

"These arrests have come after months of people suffering at the hands of violent robbers who have shown little concern for the damage they have inflicted.

"The arrests send out a clear message for individuals or groups of criminals who choose to become involved in this form of crime; we will catch you."