Emergency services cordon off town centre road after vehicle smashes into shopfront and leaves building in ruins.
A dramatic police chase ended in destruction on a busy Heywood street early Sunday morning after a car crashed into a building, partially demolishing a local takeaway and exposing the flat above.
Emergency services were called to Bridge Street shortly before 4am on Sunday 28 September after a pursuit that began in neighbouring Bury. The incident has left a major town centre road closed, with a police cordon in place and clean-up operations underway.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) confirmed that the collision followed a call to reports of a disturbance on Walmersley Road in Bury.
In a full statement, a spokesperson for GMP said:
“At around 3.50am this morning (Sunday 28 September 2025), we responded to reports of an ongoing disturbance at an address on Walmersley Road in Bury.
Upon police arrival, a vehicle made off resulting in a pursuit utilising specialist tactics. The suspect vehicle travelled towards Heywood where it collided with a building on Bridge Street in Heywood, Rochdale.
The driver of the vehicle – a man in his 30s – was arrested on suspicion of failing to stop, dangerous driving and threats to kill, before being taken to hospital for an injury to his arm.
Investigations are ongoing.
Officers are now appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident to come forward and assist their investigation.
Information can be shared via 101 quoting log 446 of 28/09/2025.”
Images from the scene show a severely damaged building, believed to house a ground-floor takeaway and residential accommodation above. The entire shopfront had collapsed, scattering bricks across the pavement and street, with the car still visible among the wreckage.
Bridge Street remains closed between St James Street and Garden Street as firefighters and local council teams work to stabilise the building and clear debris. A digger was seen loading rubble into a skip by mid-morning, while oil spillages on the road required treatment with sand.
Local residents reported hearing loud noises in the early hours. One person described hearing what they believed was a police chase followed by a crash at around 4.40am.
Council officials were on scene alongside emergency services throughout the day. The building’s owner told onlookers the structure was “very unstable” and likely to need urgent engineering assessment.
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service has not yet issued a statement, and it remains unclear whether any other individuals were injured in the incident.
Police are urging witnesses or anyone with dashcam or CCTV footage to come forward to aid their ongoing investigation.
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