CCTV footage has captured the shocking moment adult store Clonezone was attacked for a FOURTH time, with the masked offenders speeding away from the scene on a red motorbike.
Two thugs, who arrived outside the Sackville Street store on the distinctive bike shortly before 6pm on Monday (May 22) proceed to smash up the glass door with what appears to be a crowbar before quickly making off.
The windows at the shop front are still boarded up from three previous attacks that occurred in the space of just six weeks, also by two masked offenders on a red motorbike, that saw the premises attacked in similar circumstances.
READ MORE The Gay Village shop under siege from motorbike thugs - and the fear that they have fuelled
Sharing the footage of the latest incident with the Manchester Evening News moments after the attack took place on Monday, General Manager Richard Tropez said: "They need catching."
Richard was previously forced to install new CCTV cameras and even bring in security on the door at the shop but the attacks still continued, with one incident even recorded as an unmanned police car sat outside.
"Police have said that they know the routes the bike has taken in the past. The windows are still boarded up, but it’s the door glass they went through this time. They need catching. It’s clearly a recognisable bike," he said.
Greater Manchester Police told the M.E.N last month that catching the offenders was their 'top priority' and that the force would not 'tolerate these kinds of mindless acts of vandalism'.
On May 10, one man was arrested by police on suspicion of conspiracy to commit criminal damage and was then released with bail conditions.
Councillor Pat Karney said that the council was demanding an urgent meeting with Greater Manchester Police after the fourth incident on Monday, as forensics were pictured outside the shop.
"These hate criminals must be caught. The shop staff must be terrified for their safety with all these attacks," he said. "The council will be seeking an urgent meeting with Manchester Police. This has to stop."
This latest attack is now the fourth the shop has faced in just two months. The first incident occurred on March 22, when bricks were hurled through its windows, prompting the venue to issue an emotional public statement writing: “Windows can be broken but the LGBTQIA+ community cannot."
The glass front door was then smashed on the evening of April 13, with the third incident occurring on the evening of April 24, shortly before 6pm, as staff were still working and an unmanned police car sat across the road.
Jeremy Hoad, chair of the Friends of Manchester's Gay Village group previously said: "It's important that (the Gay Village) remains a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community and any incidents like this are of course very worrying and undermine the cohesion of the gay village.
"It's even more important that we stand completely against these incidents and take as much action as possible to fight back."
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said: "At around 5.50pm today (Monday 22 May 2023) Greater Manchester Police were called to reports of criminal damage at a premises on Sackville Street, Manchester.
"Officers attended the scene and an investigation is ongoing to determine the full circumstances surrounding this incident."
If anyone has any information including CCTV footage, dash cam footage, please contact GMP on 101 or via the GMP website using the ‘report’ tool: www.gmp.police.uk.
Alternatively, you can report information anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers online or by calling 0800 555 111.
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