Investigations are continuing after a weekend of violence across Greater Manchester. But police say there is no link between four serious incidents.
In the first, two men were stabbed by a gang who also smashed up the parked car they were sat in. They were in an Audi A1 in Bury New Road, Salford, on a busy main route from Manchester to the Bury suburbs, when they were attacked on Friday evening.
Police were alerted at 8.15pm on Friday to the incident. Both victims required hospital treatment and are said to be in a stable condition. One of the injured males was later arrested on suspicion of possession of drugs.
The attacked happened near the junction with New Hall Road in the Broughton Park area. Glass was left strewn across the road.
Two and a half hours later a gunman opened fire in Halliwell Lane, Cheetham Hill, less than a mile away. No one was injured. The two incidents are not being linked.
Meanwhile at 6pm on the same evening a man had a remarkable escape after being blasted at point-blank range by a man armed with a shot-gun. The shooter fired twice through the driver's window of the target's car on Broadbent Road, Oldham, off the A672 Ripponden Road. Kingsland School, a pupil referral unit, was located within a cordon set up by police at the scene.
The offender and the victim made off from the scene. Police have confirmed officers have since located the victim, a man in his 40s, safe and well. He does not wish to co-operate with the investigation, they said.
Detective Chief Inspector Ben Cottam, from GMP’s Oldham district, said: "This was clearly a distressing incident for those nearby who will no doubt have heard the noise from the incident where it’s believed a shot gun was used.
"Extensive enquiries were carried out following the first report and a discharge was confirmed to have taken place some time later. This is being treated as an isolated and deliberate incident and I would like to reassure residents that getting to the bottom of what happened remains an absolute priority with a number of lines of enquiry already being followed up.
"There’s no place for firearms on the streets of Greater Manchester and we have a number of officers and detectives in force working every day to bring those responsible for possessing, transferring or using firearms to justice."
In a fourth incident at the weekend two people had a 'corrosive substance' thrown at them as a 'neighbour dispute' erupted in Tyldesley. The incident happened on Manchester Road just before 11am on Saturday. The Manchester Evening News understands that a row broke out between residents.
Emergency services were scrambled after two people had the substance aimed at them. A woman was taken to hospital from the scene as a precaution, police said. Two people were later arrested on suspicion of assault and criminal damage.
Also on Saturday two men were left seriously injured after a stabbing in south Manchester. Emergency services were scrambled to the scene on Parrs Wood Road in Didsbury on Saturday afternoon. The road was cordoned off by police officers.
Police confirmed that two men - aged 46 and 48 - were taken to hospital from the scene with knife wounds. They remain there in a serious condition. An ambulance arrived at the scene at 2.30pm, followed by police.
Anyone with information on any of the five incidents can contact GMP on LiveChat at www.gmp.police.uk or call 101. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."
