Since the easing of lockdown, local Ancoats residents have been voicing concern over growing anti-social behaviour in the area, more specifically in Cutting Room Square which is the social hub of the neighbourhood.
Locals for the past few weeks have been experiencing a range of anti-social behaviour including loud music, street drinking, urinating in public, littering and even physical brawls. It’s been reported that people who do not live in the area have been taking advantage of the open outdoor space that Cutting Room Square provides, attracting groups of people bringing their own alcohol to the location.
Cutting Room Square is home to popular bars and restaurants including Rudy’s Neapolitan Pizza, Jane Eyre and Se7en Brothers.
Images surfacing online show people not following social distancing guidelines and leaving their rubbish behind after they leave for local businesses to clean up after them. This has sparked outrage with many residents wanting to move out of the Ancoats area labelling it as ‘the new Piccadilly Gardens’ where people are taking drugs openly and being abusive towards other members of the public.
One homeowner said, “This year I have seen a lot of changes with the way lockdown has affected the type of people coming into Ancoats and being disrespectful. I think it started when lockdown began to ease and people could go outside, probably around late May. We noticed a lot more people being in Cutting Room Square that were perhaps not from round here.”
The GMP have issued a section 35 dispersal order in Cutting Room Square, allowing police to enforce action if members of the public are engaging in any anti-social behaviour. We hope that the area shows improvement soon.
