Oldham councillor's car torched in targeted arson attack

A balaclava-clad arsonist torched Councillor Josh Charters' Mini Cooper outside his Ripponden Road home on January 13, just minutes after he returned from walking his dog. The attacker struck at 10:30pm, setting fire to the vehicle parked directly outside the councillor's house while he was getting ready for bed.

Police are treating the incident as a 'targeted attack' in a borough where political violence has become disturbingly routine. Council leader Arooj Shah's car was firebombed in 2021 in what authorities called a 'reckless and abhorrent act' that damaged a neighbouring property. Most recently, an independent candidate's vehicle was found ablaze before they stepped down for undisclosed reasons.

The intimidation campaign is deterring decent people from standing for election. 'There are people who have told me directly they won't stand in Oldham because they're scared about the abuse they'll get,' a senior council source revealed. Liberal Democrat councillor Helen Bishop described the situation as 'proper gangland stuff,' warning that 'it discourages decent people, though not scoundrels.

The crisis extends beyond Oldham, with a Local Government Chronicle survey finding over 80% of councillors nationwide struggle to recruit candidates, citing online abuse (85%) and in-person threats (78%). Oldham's new town hall now features bullet-proof security doors, reflecting the fear permeating local government. While Charters refuses to be intimidated and continues his duties, the attack has left him wanting to 'put this behind me' for his and his partner's sake.