Greater Manchester Police has praised fans for their behaviour during the first weekend of Oasis concerts at Heaton Park, which saw just 15 arrests across two nights attended by more than 100,000 people.
The second night of the sold out concerts, held on Saturday, accounted for nine of the arrests, adding to six from the Friday performance.
Police confirmed that six people, five men and one woman, were arrested for attempting to access the site with fake accreditation. Three separate incidents led to those arrests on suspicion of fraud. One man was also detained after allegedly assaulting a security steward, while two other men were arrested on suspicion of assault, one for a section 18 offence inside the venue, and one for a section 47 offence outside.
A Section 34 Dispersal Order was active for both nights, giving officers powers to order individuals to leave the area for up to 48 hours if they were suspected of engaging in antisocial behaviour. Police say they will reassess the use of dispersal powers ahead of next week’s concerts on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.
Assistant Chief Constable Matt Boyle said: “We have been planning for these events for several months, working with partners and the organisers to make sure everyone can enjoy the concerts safely. To that end, I’m pleased to say that the first two Oasis homecoming events have been a success.
“What has been especially pleasing is how more than 100,000 people have enjoyed these iconic events safely and without trouble.”
There were also security concerns on Saturday night when several individuals without tickets tried to breach the perimeter gates. Police confirmed they failed to gain access and extra support has been provided to the event organisers to prevent any future unauthorised entry.
Airspace restrictions remain in place, with five drones seized on Friday night for breaching the one and a half mile no-fly zone. Two more pilots were spoken to. Officers warned that anyone caught flying drones during the events faces possible prosecution.
Despite the minimal number of arrests, ACC Boyle stressed that any abuse of staff would be dealt with robustly: “We will not tolerate any abuse of anyone doing their job.”
Police will maintain a visible presence at Heaton Park and across Manchester for the remaining three Oasis concerts to ensure public safety continues to be upheld.
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