An eyewitness has described the moment a brawl erupted in Piccadilly Gardens, leaving one man in hospital. Two men were involved in a fight outside Café Nero on Monday night, the latest troubling incident in Manchester's main square.
One of the men is said to have smashed a glass bottle over a wall before using it to beat the other man's head. One man, aged in his 30s, was taken to hospital but was discharged later.
This morning, a portion of the notorious city centre square was cordoned off as police began an investigation into the fight. Police have appealed for witnesses but as yet nobody has been arrested.
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As the investigation continued, one eyewitness described in graphic detail how the violence erupted in front of him. There was 'blood everywhere', he said.
The man, who declined to be named, told the M.E.N: "Two guys got into a fight outside Café Nero at 10.30pm. The guy was getting beaten up so picked up a beer bottle from a bench then tried hitting him across the head.
"Then the other guy snatched it off him, smashed it on the wall then started whacking him across his head. He then hurled three to four punches then threw the top bit on the floor.
"You could see his skull. He was left with big cut across head. There was loads of blood everywhere. I called the ambulance and spoke to police."
This morning a portion of Piccadilly Gardens remained cordoned off as scene of crime officers took photos and samples from the area. The crime scene was removed later in the morning. Detectives are trawling CCTV footage as part of their investigation.
The latest violence comes a month after a brutal stabbing in the square. On March 14, a man in his 20s was taken to hospital after he was stabbed twice in Piccadilly Gardens. In February, Chief Constable Stephen Watson accepted GMP had 'just not got this right' during a BBC Radio Manchester phone-in when one caller alleged police appeared to be ignoring open drug dealing in Piccadilly Gardens.
He said: "There are too many people who fear the area. It's frankly looking a bit grotty. It's frankly not a great advertisement for the city and clearly people think then can wander into Piccadilly Gardens and sell drugs and do what they want, and that cannot be right."
He has promised to step up the use of stop and search. In December, 2020, GMP launched Operation Perseus with the aim of making the Gardens a 'no-go zone for criminals', but crime and antisocial behaviour persist.
The council has removed the free-standing part of the hated 'Berlin Wall' and a planned renovation of the city's main square could cost £10m.
Following the latest incident in the Gardens, a spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said: "We were called shortly after 10.20pm on Monday 25 April to a report of a fight at Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester.
"A man in his 30s was taken to hospital for treatment to a head wound. He was discharged earlier today. No arrests have been made and an investigation is underway.
"Anyone with information should report it to us online via our LiveChat facility, if able, or by calling 101 quoting incident 3200 of 25/04/2022. Details can be passed anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."
