A man saved a young boy’s life in an Ardwick estate after he was attacked by a gang of “boys” who used a machete to “chop” his face and arms – with a Section 60 order in place until Saturday morning
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The scene of a serious attack in Haymarket Street, Ardwick
A man has described the terrifying moment he ran to save a “young boy’s” life during a machete attack – which happened in broad daylight.
The man, who asked not to be named, said he saw the teenager sitting on a bench in the middle of the estate in Ardwick, Manchester, at around 4pm on Friday. The sun was out and children were playing in the yard. Moments later, a car pulled up and a gang of “boys” jumped out with “big machetes” and launched a vicious attack. Instinctively, the man ran to save the boy’s life – whose face was being “chopped”.
He said: “After they stabbed him I went outside and grabbed him and dragged him away. As they [the gang] had seen what I was doing they realised the public was getting involved.” Neighbours began to come out of their homes after watching the horror unfold just yards from their doorsteps. The Manchester Evening News reported pictures taken at the scene on Friday show forensic officers combing the area with a large cordon in place.
The man said a child around four or five years old who was playing outside witnessed the horror. He added: “They were going to to kill him. I grabbed him. He was in no condition to walk or anything. He was collapsing. It was one of them situations when it was just like that .I don’t like to save his life but I surmise I did.”
The boy began “crying” for an ambulance, as soon as he grabbed him, and kept repeating ‘I want an ambulance’. The emergency services arrived a short time later. On how the incident has affected him, the man said: “It takes from here,” he said pointing to his heart.
“It’s like another human being has been knocked out of me. It’s an emptiness knocked out you. I’m not an ambulance person, I’m not a medical person, I’m Joe Bloggs,” he said, adding: “There was blood all over me.” Asked what was running through his head in that moment, he said: “Just save the boy, save the boy. This boy was just a young boy in the wrong place at the wrong time. There was quite a lot of mayhem and destruction within what happened in that short time.”
CSI officers were seen examining sections of the street, with evidence markers in place along a footpath. The road was shut down as investigations continued into the night, with the public urged to get in touch with police if they have any information. Witnesses say officers are also doing a grid search within the cordon and checking drains along the street.
Following the attack, GMP brought in stop and search powers across a huge area of the city. The Section 60 order was in place until 10.30am today (Saturday). The area covered by the order stretched from Moss Side and included parts of Ardwick, Longsight, Gorton, Hulme and Audenshaw. Police patrols have also been stepped up following the incident. No arrests have been made.
Superintendent Phil Spurgeon, of Greater Manchester Police, said: “This section 60 has been authorised following an incident in which someone has been seriously injured – by utilising the extra powers, officers can work to deter any further violence.
“The investigation into the incident is currently ongoing and investigators will be working to ensure all relevant information is gathered and that the necessary actions are taken. We would urge anyone with information to please get in touch as we enter the early stages of our work. Please keep an eye on social media for any further updates and if you are unsure about anything, do contact police to report any incidents.”
Anyone with any information with regards to the incident is asked to contact police via 101 or gmp.police.uk, quoting log 2140 of 05/07/24. You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
