Police respond to concerns over Heywood Community Guard

The ‘vigilante’ group that has been ‘standing guard’ outside schools in Heywood remains active, but is being monitored by the police. Organisers behind Heywood Community Guard (HCG) say it was set up to ‘keep women and children safe’ in the town.

A group of councillors has recently called on Greater Manchester Police to step up their efforts in managing the HCG, who continue to operate in the area. The Heywood-based politicians, led by Coun Angela Brown, have raised concerns about the group’s activities and how parents fear they could potentially return to school gates to ‘stand guard’. 

Following the investigation into the group last year, the police said they were working to ensure the HCG ‘follow the appropriate laws and guidance during any activities they carry out’. It is understood that chief superintendent of Rochdale, Danny Inglis, is speaking with the councillors about this matter. 

A GMP spokesperson said:

“We are aware of a group operating in the Heywood area, and while we do not have a partnership with them, we will work to ensure they follow the appropriate laws and guidance during any activities they carry out.”

The HCG generally patrol the streets at night while wearing high-vis vests emblazoned with Heywood Community Guard. But it was previously revealed that in 2022 one of the HCG’s founder members, Adam Farrell, was jailed after he left an innocent man with life-changing brain injuries in an unprovoked racist attack outside a nightclub. 

At Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court, Farrell, then of Middleton Road, Heywood, was jailed for three years and four months after admitting racially aggravated grievous bodily harm. It is understood that Adam Farrell is no longer part of the HCG.

Leaked messages from the ‘Keep Heywood Safe’ HCG WhatsApp group, first reported by Roch Valley Radio, show members using slurs against black and Jewish people and discussing fears ‘millions of Muslims’ were ‘ready to fight’. One member used the N word and shared a Google maps location pin after saying he had seen a black man with a ‘London accent’ in the town.

However, group founder Jamie Thomason denies this was the official chat group of the HCG and was used to get an understanding of problem areas for anti-social behaviour and crime. Mr Thomason clarified that anyone who made racist remarks on the chat is not involved in the HCG and is not on patrols or guarding school gates.

He believes the majority of the public support his group and are happy to have them patrolling the streets. Mr Thomason’s hope is to create a security patrol so that police officers could focus on other crimes going on.

Coun Brown, who chairs the Heywood Township Committee at Rochdale council, does not share Mr Thomason’s beliefs and sent a letter on behalf of the committee directly to Rochdale’s chief superintendent, Danny Inglis. She called on the force to increase visible policing; issue a statement that policing is the responsibility of officers; and update how the HCG is being monitored. 

The letter read:

“In the past months, we have been contacted by a substantial number of residents -predominantly women-who have expressed significant anxiety regarding the presence of this group on our streets and on local social media.

“More distressing are the reports from parents whose children are fearful that these unofficial patrols may return to school gates.

“We have informally discussed this issue with GMP over several months, and while we understand the police position that ‘walking the streets’ is not in itself unlawful, the impact of these activities is creating a climate of intimidation.

“Many residents have told us they no longer feel the “quiet peace” that should define our town. Many are afraid to speak out for fear of the backlash, intimidation, and threats they have seen others receive for doing so.

“Our community wants professional policing, not vigilantism. As the elected representatives for this town, we are asking for increased visible policing, a clear public statement from GMP reiterating that policing is the sole responsibility of professional officers and an update on how the police are monitoring these groups, to ensure no resident is being harassed or intimidated in their own street or online.”

HCG was formed in the wake of an anti-immigration protest which took place in Heywood in late August last year. The demonstration, thought to have been organised by Farrell, saw protesters march through the streets of the town holding Union Jack banners with the slogans ‘Save our children’, ‘Stop the boats’ and ‘Close the HMOs’.

Roch Valley Radio reported marchers were heard chanting in support of far-right activist Tommy Robinson. In the weeks following the protest Mr Thomason began asking for volunteers to form a patrol via the ‘Heywood HMO protesters’ Facebook page.

Mr Thomason declined to comment on the letter issued to GMP by Coun Brown.