Ancoats crimewave has locals 's***ting themselves' - others want to turn vigilante

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Scrolling through the ‘Ancoats Neighbourhood Watch’ Facebook group makes for grim viewing. Every day, new photos are posted of smashed-up cars.

Some motorists have been burgled, while others have seen thugs stamp on their windscreens, damaging their pride and joy. It’s left residents ‘s****ing' themselves', with some even suggesting a vigilante effort to curb the crime.

However, police officers insist their hard work over the last month has seen the number of break-ins decrease. In recent years, Ancoats has been lauded as one of the world's coolest neighbourhoods.

However, over the last 18 months, tensions over parking and car crime have risen, with the number of social media reports of break-ins intensifying since Christmas. READ MORE: Join the FREE Manchester Evening News WhatsApp community Now, with some residents saying the situation has reached a 'critical point', the Manchester Evening News looks at the effect of the car crime spree in Ancoats and New Islington — and what is being done to tackle it.