Atherton Online

Not a question you ask someone everyday. But in a nutshell, police have found a large power tool and they want to give it back. The details:

Police in Wigan are trying to trace the owner of an air compressor found during a raid. 

Around 10 am on 26 August 2010 police carried out a raid at a house on Dorset Road, Atherton. 

A yellow Powercraft 24 litre air compressor was recovered and is believed to be stolen. 

Officers have yet to find the owner and are appealing for anyone who has recently had this large power tool stolen to come forward.

Police Constable Jimmy Mitchell of Atherton Police Station said: "This is a very expensive machine and we want to reunite it with its owner. 

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A 16-year-old boy was knocked unconscious during an unprovoked attack in a Wigan park. 

The boy was with two girls, lying on grass in Mesnes Park, when three men walked over and one of them kicked him in the face. 

He was knocked out for a short time and was treated for minor facial injuries. 

The attack happened at around 4.15pm on Wednesday 25 August 2010, and police are appealing for witnesses. 

The offender is described as white, aged in his early 20's and around 6ft tall. He had a skinny build, short brown hair and was wearing a black shirt with tracksuit pants and spoke with a wigan accent. 
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Police are hunting armed robbers who dropped a handgun during a raid on a Leigh convenience store. 

At about 10.15pm last night, Saturday 28 August 2010, two masked men brandishing handguns entered the No 1 convenience store on St Helens Road. 

They ordered the shopkeeper, a 54-year-old man, to open the till but he refused. 

One of the robbers grabbed the till but the shopkeeper held onto it and during the ensuing struggle the offender dropped the handgun. The robber eventually managed to take the till and both men ran out of the shop with the till and a quantity of cash. 

Both robbers then ran off. No-one was injured but the shopkeeper was left shocked by the incident. 

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Well. If you want a goody bag of excellent 'stuff'. You know where to go and when. From the horses mouth:

Via Wigan Council:

"The Buy Local roadshow is in full swing around the borough, with information from local businesses about getting the best deals whilst at the same time supporting local jobs and cutting your carbon footprint.

This week (Friday 3 September 10am-2pm), the team are joining forces with Atherton Business Partnership.

All those who come to Atherton Market on Friday and pledge to support local businesses will be given a goody bag including information about local businesses.

Wigan Council’s regeneration team have organised the event, as part of their work to support the local economy.   The council’s economy champion, Cllr David Molyneux, explains: “Our campaign to ‘buy local’ has been running for a good while now and has helped boost our local economy.  It’s a tough marketplace at present, but our area is doing well, with low unemployment and many new businesses starting up.
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Police in Leigh are investigating after two flagpoles were stolen from the cenotaph in Leigh. 

Between midnight on Friday 6 August 2010 and 6.30am on Tuesday 10 August 2010, the flagpoles were stolen from the war memorial on Church Street. 

Officers in Leigh have carried out inquiries and are now appealing to anyone who may be able to help to come forward. 

Police Constable Barry Willans said: "It is hard to understand exactly why someone would want to steal these flagpoles, but the offenders need to understand that their actions have caused a tremendous amount of distress. 

"We have been in regular contact with the British Legion who are understandably keen for justice to be carried out. 

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Four people have been charged after an operation in Wigan. 

Lee Harris (born 28/01/1972), of Warrington Road, Abram, Keith Prescott (born 23/11/1960), of Warrington Road, Abram, Benson Okali (born 25/08/1976), of Gardner Court, Kelvin Grove, London and Daniel Tang (born 06/12/1976) of Leigh Street, Golborne, are all charged with conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. 

A 39-year-old man arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs has been bailed until 25 October 2010 pending further inquiries. 

Two men and a woman, all arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, remain in police custody for questioning. 

Those charged are due before Wigan Magistrates' Court on 26 August 2010. 

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Police in Leigh have seized around 100 cannabis plants. 

At 8.45pm on Tuesday 24 August 2010, officers attended a house on Keats Street [map] and carried out a search warrant. 

Between 100 and 120 plants were recovered along with growing equipment. 

Police are trying to trace the offenders and inquiries are ongoing. 

Sergeant Darren Agnew, of GMP's Wigan division, said: "This is a result for the local community as this cannabis seizure, which was supervised by Sergeant Glenn Eccles, meant we have managed to take a significant amount of cannabis out of circulation.

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Students from Wigan and Leigh College were given an insight into policing this summer. 

PCSO Michelle Ashurst from the Wigan Neighburhood Policing Team organised a two-day course for Public Service students (aged 16-20) who are keen to have a career in policing. 

During the course pupils had the opportunity to find out what its like to work for various Greater Manchester Police departments such as Counter Terrorism and Criminal Justice and Partnerships. Presentations were delivered highlighting the daily work of a Neighbourhood Inspector and PCSO. 

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Police have arrested two (see update) three people in raids across Wigan as part of an operation to crack a major drug dealing gang. 

Warrants were executed at five addresses in Golborne and Platt Bridge as part of Operation Delmas. 

Led by the North West Regional Crime Unit, the raids were supported by armed officers from GMP's Wigan division. 

The operation is aimed at disrupting a major drug conspiracy that has seen large quantities of cocaine travelling north from London to be sold on the streets of Wigan and the wider North West. 

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Police are appealing for the public's help to trace a Wigan man. 

Stanley Hines, also known as Stanley Hinds, had been staying with a travelling community at Phoenix Way in recent weeks. 

At about 10pm on 14 August 2010, he went to get some cigarettes and has not been seen or heard from since. 

The travelling community have since left the area and have had no contact with him. 

 

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Men who claimed to be plain clothes police officers stole a large amount of Euros from a house in Leigh. 

Around 8.30pm on Monday 2 August 2010, two men knocked on the door of a house on The Avenue, Leigh. 

When the door was answered one of the men stated they were from 'Manchester Police CID', but did not show any ID.   

They were allowed into the house and one of the men took everyone in the house into the living room, while the second man went upstairs. 

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A man is in a serious condition in hospital after a collision with a taxi in a Leigh car park. 

Shortly before 4am on Sunday 8 August 2010, police were called to a car park near King Street, following reports of a collision. 

Officers attended and found a 58-year-old man had been in collision with a private hire Vauxhall Zafira. 
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Police in Wigan are hunting a man who tried to abduct two schoolboys. 

Between midday and 12.45pm on Monday 19 July 2010, the victims, aged nine and 10, were going to a chip shop when they noticed a white van parked on Springfield Gardens, Golborne. 

The van then passed them slowly, before reversing up a drive and making a U-turn, heading back towards the boys. 

A passenger shouted for the boys to come and look at something and the boys stepped closer. 

The man then grabbed the older boy and tried to grab his friend. 

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