Police given stop and search powers in Wigan suburb following extreme violence

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Police have been granted new powers to allow them to stop and search anyone in the Westleigh area of Wigan after two men were shot and injured - with the gunman still at large.

Officers were called to Hawthorne Grove on January 26 following reports of a firearms discharge. A short time later, officers received reports of a second shooting a mile away on Shadwell Grove. READ MORE: Murder investigation launched and two arrested after man, 40, found dead Two men, one in his 30s and the other in his 20s, were taken to hospital with gunshot wounds.

Police said the stop and search disruption tactics in Westleigh will come into force from 4pm today (February 2). The powers have been granted as part of tactics and strategies used by GMP Wigan's Operation Lockport to reduce crime and keep residents ‘safe from harm’.

They are set to remain in place for 15 hours, with the potential to be extended. A Section 60 order gives officers the power to stop and search anyone in a designated location in the lookout for offensive weapons or bladed articles.