Priest speaks out at police following stone attack

A Heywood Priest has spoken of his concerns that police are too slow to react to incidents of minor crime after he caught three youths throwing stones at church windows.

Father Paul Daly, of St Joseph's RC Church, was in a meeting when he heard the stones being thrown at the window. He went outside to find three youths still in the vicinity of the church.

He phoned the police and described the youths, told them what they had done and where they were.

The police phoned Father Daly back shortly after to ask whether or not he wanted them to send a police officer round to the church the following morning.

The priest was angered by the fact the police were not willing to send an officer round while the youths were still outside the church. He said: "I gave them a description, tell them where the youths are, remind them that we are repeat victims, that the three youths responsible are only yards away and the police offer to send someone round in the morning.

"When Rochdale police start fighting this low-level but frequent level of crime with any seriousness, then maybe the members of the public will help them."

Reponding to the issue, Superintendent Martin Greenhalgh of Rochdale Division said: "When the call initially came in, we were told the youths had run off from the church and there was not believed to be any damage caused.

"A second call was made to inform us that there was a scratch on the window frame but there was no reason to report this as damage as it would not need repair.

"The call was then graded appropriately for the local Neighbourhood Policing Team to make contact with the victim. This is because there was no ongoing threat to life or property.

"An officer has since been to visit the victim and an official report of crime has been taken.

"We recognise Father Daly's concerns about problems in the local area with youths causing annoyance and we are in regular contact with him, to try and make Heywood a safer place.

"I would ask if he has any further concerns he contacts us directly so we can find a way to resolve these."