Police in Greater Manchester believe criminals are paying vulnerable people, including children, to damage houses they think are houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), The Guardian reports.
Dozens of properties have been targeted since 5 October, most of them in Salford, with others in Tameside and Stockport. Officers have received at least 46 reports of criminal damage, with windows smashed, cars attacked and anti-HMO graffiti sprayed on walls and doors. The houses appear to have been singled out because people believe immigrants or refugees live in them.
Chief Superintendent Marcus Noden said some of those being exploited were thought to be children. A 42-year-old man was arrested on Friday after damage at a Salford address, the latest of several arrests this week. Police say social media is spreading the campaign, and Salford council has removed roadside banners opposing migrant HMOs.
Source: The Guardian UK
Photo: St georges church carrington greater manchester by Parrot of Doom, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Illustrative image of Greater Manchester.
