Spate of crowbar attacks spark safety fears in Manchester gay community
CloneZone, an adult shop on Sackville Street was attacked at 6pm on Monday night
A shop in Manchester’s gay village had its windows smashed in for the third time in six weeks sparking safety fears among the LGBT+ community.
Police are trying to identify two masked people on motorbikes after the latest attack on CloneZone, an adult shop on Sackville Street at 6pm on Monday night.
Greater Manchester Police said two people were seen on CCTV entering the street before one of them jumped off the back of a red motorcycle and repeatedly smashed the windows of the shop.
Minutes later, two people then fled in the direction of London Road.
It is the third time the shop, which sells leather and sex toys, has been vandalised in six weeks. Police called the attacks “mindless acts of vandalism”.
A police car had been parked outside the shop to act as a deterrent, but CCTV footage from the attack shows the car was empty because the officers were attending another crime.
In a post on Facebook, CloneZone said: ”For the third time in six weeks Clonezone Manchester has been victims of a premeditated, targeted hate crime against us as a queer business.
“Our LGBTQIA+ village has always been a safe space and that now sadly is becoming less and less of a reality.”
Greater Manchester Police said the force was providing ongoing support to the shop owners and police have increased patrols in the area.
Police have released CCTV images of the masked offenders and urged anyone with information about the attack, including dashcam or doorbell footage, to come forward to help identify them.
Manchester council leader, Bev Craig, said the attacks were “concerning”. Ms Craig said: “As leader of the council residents have contacted me but I have also been closely monitoring the situation myself. Now as the third vandal attack has happened, it’s something that is concerning and we want to make sure it’s been dealt with properly,” The Guardian report
Ms Craig said Manchester had one of the biggest LGBT+ communities in the UK, and the council has worked with police to encourage people to report hate crime.
Chief Inspector Adam Wignall of City of Manchester Police said: “GMP will not tolerate these kinds of mindless acts of vandalism in the city and as such, we are providing ongoing support to the owners of the shop, whilst we thoroughly investigate these incidents.
“This appears to be targeted to this one particular shop and we have increased patrols in the area, providing reassurance to the local community and shop owners.
“If there is anyone who can ID these two people, particularly through the distinctive motorcycle they were on, we would urge them to get in touch with us. Similarly, any dashcam or doorbell footage that can be provided, we would welcome this.
Anyone with information is asked to call 101 quoting log number 002955-24042023, or can submit it via the Live Chat function on its website. Information can also be passed to Crimestoppers on 0800 111 555.
Homophobic hate crimes across the country increased by 41 per cent in the year to March 2022, according to Home Office figures released in October, while transphobic hate crimes rose 56 per cent – the biggest year-on-year percentage rise.
Hate crimes rose by 26 per cent overall in the UK in the year to March 2022.
At the time, the Home Office said transgender issues have been “heavily discussed on social media”, which may have led to an increase in related hate crimes.
Its report said: “It is uncertain to what degree the increase in police-recorded hate crime is a genuine rise or due to continued recording improvements and more victims having the confidence to report these crimes to the police.”