A dog walker was kicked in the head after asking a gang of teenage thugs "not to damage a tree". A second man is reported to have been brutally attacked with a "sharp object" when the pair confronted the group in Romiley, Stockport, on Monday evening.
Greater Manchester Police has now apologised after officers failed to turn up after receiving reports of the vicious attack. Helen Pidd, The Guardian's North of England editor, witnessed the shocking incident and went to help the victims, one of whom was "on the floor being kicked by a gang of lads".
She later took to Twitter to criticise GMP for failing to send out officers in response to the attack. In a series of tweets on Wednesday morning, she said: "Just how violent does an attack need to be before @gmpolice send out an officer to investigate?
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On Monday night I heard screaming outside my house in Stockport. "Out of my window I could see a man on the floor being kicked by a gang of lads. I ran outside and saw two grown men bleeding.
"One had been attacked in the ear by a sharp object (in front of his wife and daughter, who was screaming); another had been kicked in the head. A group of teenage boys ran away.
"Some of them were wearing balaclavas. I asked what happened. The men, out walking their dogs, had asked the boys not to damage a nearby tree.
"The wife of one of the victims immediately phoned @gmpolice giving a full account as the lads were in eyeshot, shouting abuse down the street at us. The victims have videos and photos of the attackers.
"Not only did @gmpolice not arrive but they still haven’t been in contact with the victims to take witness statements or gather evidence. What does it take for them to turn up?"
A GMP spokesperson confirmed officers had received a report of the disturbance at about 7.50pm on Monday. While it was initially assessed as a 'grade one' incident - the most serious category - officers downgraded it after learning the gang had left. They did not attend the scene as a result.
The force said officers have since visited the victims, but admitted its response was "not the right level of service the public expect".
Chief Superintendent for GMP's Force Contact Centre Chris Gibson said: “This was originally dealt with as a Grade 1 incident due to the nature of the assault, however upon being notified of the offenders leaving the scene and the situation seemingly diffused, the incident was downgraded and officers on the district were not dispatched in an appropriate time-frame.
"This is not the right level of service the public expect after what is clearly a distressing incident, and for this I sincerely apologise. An officer has visited the family to confirm any lines of enquiry in this case will be investigated and should we identify offenders, they will be pursued. I am grateful this has been brought to our attention.
"We have ensured that the family involved have received an explanation in person and we will continue to keep them updated on any progress. GMP will always strive to make sure those who get in touch with us receive the best, most appropriate response and we will continue to learn and improve wherever we can.”
GMP has been in special measures since December 2020 when Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) revealed the force had failed to properly record an estimated 80,000 crimes in a year.
The crisis cost the then Chief Constable Ian Hopkins his job. His replacement Stephen Watson was appointed last May and vowed that "every crime reported would be properly investigated". However, following another inspection last September, the government's policing watchdog concluded GMP was still falling short of expected standards.
The force was said to be "failing to respond to calls from the public" and inspectors highlighted "significant delays" in responding to incidents involving vulnerable people, with some waiting over a week for a response that should be undertaken in less than an hour and others getting none at all. Less than a third of calls that should have received a response within an hour were getting one.
