Labour MP backs summer police surge to clean up Bury town centres

Tuesday, 8 July 2025 16:26

By David Murphy

Photo from GMP Operation Avro policing exercise in Bury Town Centre. Credit: David Murphy

A major summer crackdown on town centre crime and antisocial behaviour in Bury, Ramsbottom and Radcliffe has been welcomed by local Labour MP James Frith, as part of the government’s new Safer Streets initiative.

Shoppers and businesses across Bury North will see increased police patrols during peak hours, stronger enforcement, and more local action to tackle antisocial behaviour and street crime. The initiative is part of a broader summer campaign launched by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, covering more than 500 towns across the UK.

The crackdown, which includes towns such as Bury town centre, Ramsbottom and Radcliffe, will see police, councils and community partners work together on tailored enforcement plans. These include targeting repeat offenders, issuing bans from hotspot areas, and increasing town centre patrols.

Labour MP James Frith blamed the previous Conservative government for a sharp rise in shoplifting and cuts to frontline policing. He said: “The Conservatives decimated neighbourhood policing whilst crimes like shoplifting and street theft were spiralling out of control. That was the Tory legacy on law and order, and communities like ours in Bury North paid the price.”

The summer action forms part of Labour’s “Plan for Change,” which will see 13,000 new neighbourhood officers and PCSOs deployed by the end of this Parliament. Greater Manchester Police is due to receive 176 of those this year.

According to the Home Office, shoplifting in Greater Manchester rose by 20% in the last year, matching the national trend. Under the previous Conservative administration, the offence saw a 70% increase over two years.

James Frith added: “We all deserve town centres and high streets free from thugs and thieves. This crackdown will make a real difference.”

The crackdown also includes new efforts to support young people over the summer holidays by ensuring that youth activities are available in every participating town.

A new Tackling Retail Crime Together Strategy is also being launched alongside the Safer Streets initiative. It will use shared data to target organised criminal gangs as well as habitual and opportunistic offenders.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the summer crackdown will be a visible sign of change: “High streets and town centres are the very heart of our communities. Residents and businesses have the right to feel safe in their towns.”

She added: “Through our Safer Streets Mission and Plan for Change, we are putting officers back on the beat where you can see them and making our town centres safe again.”