This was the bizarre moment a man started jumping fences to avoid police - wearing an unfastened, bright red dressing gown. The suspect was one of 24 arrested during a series of dawn raids this morning (May 14) as police crack down on drug dealing in Piccadilly Gardens.
A total of 22 men and two women are currently in custody, having been arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs. Drone video footage, captured by Greater Manchester Police, shows the moment a man escaped at the back of a house on Kenchester Avenue, in Openshaw.
He can be seen leaving through the back door, into a garden which includes a children's slide, toys and a trampoline. With his gown draped over him, the man runs out onto a mattress in front of the back door, before jumping over a fence to his next door neighbour's house.
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As the man runs through the next garden, his gown appears to come off, before he puts it back on and makes his way through a gate. He then jumps two more fences, and appears to land on his back on both occasions.
Eventually, the man is caught up by officers, who arrest him on an area of grass. Around 300 officers executed 23 warrants from 5am today (May 14) as part of Operation Vulcan.
So far, around £10,000 in cash, hundreds of snap bags filled with drugs and several 'crucial' mobile phones and sim cards have all been seized. It follows an undercover operation which has been run by Vulcan and specialist officers from the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit over the last six months, targeting those suspected of keeping Piccadilly Gardens awash with drugs.
Detective Sergeant Matt Donnelly, from Operation Vulcan, said the activity 'should be a warning for anyone who thinks criminal activity is welcome in our city'. "We want to make sure criminals are living a life of high anxiety, and I hope that anyone who considers coming to Piccadilly Gardens to deal drugs is constantly looking over their shoulder," he added.
