Crime and safety news

Oldham Police have stepped up town-centre patrols this week to reassure Christmas shoppers and shop staff after a year of targeted raids on drug dens, rogue traders and unsafe nurseries.

Officers on foot told reporters they will keep a visible presence until the New Year, a move that follows the council's courtroom wins against a Waterhead house used for dealing, a filthy nursery fined £5,700, and an unlicensed taxi driver who carried passengers while suspended.

The crackdown began last May when a Waterhead property linked to drug offences, theft and nightly noise was shut for three months under a Closure Order. A second order, secured days before Christmas 2024 on another Waterhead address, was welcomed by neighbours who called it 'the best Christmas present'.

Autumn brought further action: council prosecutors fined a nursery and its directors for food-hygiene failures, and a private-hire driver was ordered to pay £4,600 after continuing to work once his licence was pulled. October's Hate Crime Awareness Week reminded residents that abuse motivated by race, religion or sexuality will be pursued.

Trading Standards and the RSPCA also joined last December's dog-seizure raid in Chadderton, where 18 animals were removed and two men aged 35 and 42 were arrested. Police say the steady drip of enforcement is meant to send a simple message: if you break the rules in Oldham, expect a knock.