Police launch shop a looter campaign

Police launch shop a looter campaign

Looters will have their faces displayed across Manchester as Greater Manchester Police continues to track down criminals involved in the disorder earlier this week.

Today, (Friday 12 August) the Force launches its 'Shop a Looter' campaign and is calling on the public to identify those individuals that attacked people and property on Tuesday night.

Mobile advertising vans will be driving round with digital images of those suspected of looting during the disorder. These images will also be projected onto the giant screen Piccadilly Gardens and the Printworks.

Assistant Chief Constable Garry Shewan said: “We have been inundated with messages of support from people across Greater Manchester who share our commitment to rounding up all those who looted our cities.

”Images and information about those involved have been flooding into my officers and we want that spirit to continue.

”That is why we have taken the bold step of publishing these people’s pictures right across Greater Manchester. If you know anyone, please tell us who they are and with your help we will find them and lock them up.

”We said earlier this week that if anyone was captured on CCTV we would be coming to get you - and we meant it.

”I would appeal to members of our communities to look at these pictures, tell us who these looters are and we will arrest them.”

Councillor Jim Battle, Manchester City Council’s deputy leader, said: “These are criminal looters who came to Manchester and tried to destroy our city centre. We support the promise that these people will be arrested and brought in front of the courts, but we must do this together and must have the help of real Mancunians who are proud of their city.”

Councillor John Merry CBE, Leader of Salford City Council, said: “We need to show these criminals they won’t win.

”Salford residents have been outraged by what has happened this week and many turned out to help clean up their city.

”What we now need is their help to bring these criminals before the courts. We need to make the thugs who think it is ok to trash their own city understand that their vile actions have consequences.”

Anyone with information about disorder and looting is asked to contact the police appeal line on 0800 092 0410 or upload pictures and footage through the official GMP Facebook page or anonymously on www.gmp.police.uk