{"id":130099,"date":"2025-05-25T07:40:20","date_gmt":"2025-05-25T07:40:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/130099\/"},"modified":"2025-05-25T07:40:20","modified_gmt":"2025-05-25T07:40:20","slug":"the-madness-of-piccadilly-gardens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/130099\/","title":{"rendered":"The madness of Piccadilly Gardens"},"content":{"rendered":"

SPECIAL REPORT: Piccadilly Gardens has an image problem and a reputation for trouble – James Holt spent an afternoon people-watching to see if that notoriety is deserved. He found a circus of crime, drug-taking and drama in the heart of the city.<\/p>\n

07:41, 25 May 2025Updated 08:22, 25 May 2025<\/p>\n

\"PiccadillyPiccadilly Gardens in Manchester City Centre<\/p>\n

A police officer runs across the grass screaming at people to get out of the way. Above him an air ambulance appears and rapidly descends into the gardens.<\/p>\n

Gusts from the slowing rotor blades launch plastic chairs from a nearby cafe through the air, some hitting the watching crowds and our photographer.<\/p>\n

A few minutes earlier it was relatively calm as I watched groups of friends lounging on the grass in the sun.<\/p>\n

Things can change very quickly here.<\/p>\n

Piccadilly Gardens<\/a> has an image problem, and it\u2019s easy to see why. Even on an ordinary weekday, it\u2019s a hive of police activity.<\/p>\n

\"AA man was arrested by police(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n

I had found a concrete step to sit on and observe the comings and goings of people on what was initially a quiet sunny Monday afternoon.<\/p>\n

Then the police arrived. Blue lights flashing. Two vans raced to the scene and were abandoned at the roadside as officers chased a man across the gardens.<\/p>\n

Wearing a dark green jacket, blue jeans and carrying a shopping bag, he sprinted towards Market Street<\/a> to make his escape, but he was rugby-tackled, thrown to the ground and bundled into the back of a vehicle.<\/p>\n

Suddenly, a group erupted into a row. A woman in ripped leggings swayed from side to side yelling incomprehensibly at a man before stumbling away.<\/p>\n

\"PolicePolice arrived at Piccadilly Gardens during our visit(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n

YouTuber Charlie Veitch was also on the scene, filming the incident while being surrounded by a mob of onlookers who seemed thoroughly entertained by the latest criminal floor show.<\/p>\n

Some – likely a crew of his half a million subscribers – even stop to take selfies with him amid the chaotic scenes.<\/p>\n

In some cases attracting hundreds of thousands of views, the self-shooting vlogger has previously posted videos titled \u2018Crackie goes too far in Piccadilly Gardens\u2019 and \u2018Very big trouble in Piccadilly Gardens\u2019.<\/p>\n

Put simply, Piccadilly Gardens these days is a circus – often with a baying audience.<\/p>\n

As all this played out, a pair sat hunched over on a nearby step smoking cannabis. The thick smell lingered over the gardens.<\/p>\n

Turning to my right a dishevelled man faced a wall and publicly urinated on it. A pigeon carcass was pecked at by another bird.<\/p>\n

\"AA dead pigeon in the middle of the gardens(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n

A group of young boys in black hooded coats and wearing balaclavas ran past me shouting \u2018run, quick, run\u2019.<\/p>\n

I found myself questioning – is this really what an open space in the middle of our city has to offer? Is this one of the first things we want people to see when they arrive in the city?<\/p>\n

Moments later, patrolling police officers shouted at people to move back. Large crowds surrounded the perimeter of the gardens. The sounds of police sirens wailing in the distance edged closer.<\/p>\n

An air ambulance appeared over the city buildings and began to descend into the middle of the gardens. Paramedics and police were responding to reports of a stabbing just yards away on nearby Oldham<\/a> Street.<\/p>\n

\"PolicePolice cleared the area as an air ambulance landed(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n

Aside from the obvious societal issues that police and the council are desperately trying to tackle in the gardens, there are also more simple aesthetic ones.<\/p>\n

Towering grey concrete walls surround the bus station-side of the gardens. Cracked slabs pave the walkways. The nearby Wellington statue is daubed in graffiti.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe memorial is daubed in red graffiti (Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n

Fairly or unfairly, the current iteration of the gardens is compared unfavourably with the open green spaces of yesteryear.<\/p>\n

The rose garden of old wasn’t immune to issues and also had its problems.<\/p>\n

But the trees and vibrant hanging baskets and foliage of old are fondly remembered as a calm haven, a utopia away from the bustling city streets.<\/p>\n

A once sunken garden with vibrant grass, a striking central water fountain, and rows of colourful flower beds is a distant memory.<\/p>\n

It is now a sea of dark and muted tones, concrete slabs, and bald patches of dehydrated, down-trodden grass. During our visit, it was impossible to count the amount of disused cigarette butts and litter on the ground.<\/p>\n

“We call it Crackadilly gardens”<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe call it Crackadilly gardens\u201d, Sandra Davies said. \u201cTo be honest, it\u2019s a sh**hole.\u201d<\/p>\n

She has lived in Manchester her whole life, and, now aged 63, fondly remembers summer afternoons sitting in the sunken and flowery gardens.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s always drug-dealers congregating in one corner. The other day I saw a man urinating up the wall and he was caught.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember how it used to be; there were flower beds everywhere and it felt so safe in those days. But now, there\u2019s just groups all drinking and taking drugs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need more police on the beat making a difference and making it a comfortable space for everyone again. They know where the problems lie.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe grass is grey, there are pigeons absolutely everywhere and it\u2019s dull and lifeless. It\u2019s sad to see.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"PiccadillyPiccadilly Gardens in Manchester(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n

Friends Carol Grundy and Anne Jackson were meeting up at Piccadilly Gardens with a coffee before strolling round the city for some shopping.<\/p>\n

Both from Bolton<\/a>, they equally took an adoring trip down memory lane as they remembered visits to the city centre as youngsters.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh it\u2019s absolutely horrid now,\u201d Anne said. \u201cMe and my mum when I was younger would come into the city centre as I\u2019d drag her in for shopping.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe would come to Piccadilly Gardens and there were rose trees, flowers and so much colour, and benches you could sit on.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe area where the fountains are was all lawned but now it\u2019s just lifeless, grey and dirty. The old gardens were beautiful, it was like a haven in the city.<\/p>\n

\"CarolCarol Grundy and Anne Jackson miss the Piccadilly Gardens of the ’90s(Image: Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t come up here now. Everyone is begging and there are so many people taking drugs. There is so much crime around here. I don\u2019t like it at all.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has so much potential. There used to be a lot of high-end shopping down this end with Debenhams, so we have lost a lot really.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d always walk through, day and night, and it always felt safe, but I wouldn’t dream of doing that now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her friend Carol echoed a similar sentiment. She rarely visits the city centre – and usually avoids Piccadilly Gardens.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt used to be lovely, didn’t it? It was a proper garden which was cared for. It\u2019s in such a good location, with eateries and public transport, but why couldn\u2019t it have just been left as it was? Somewhere pleasant to be, and sit,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the years it\u2019s just been ruined. There\u2019s no colour.<\/p>\n

\"PiccadillyPiccadilly Gardens has an image problem (Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n

\u201cIt seems to be so busy with young people but doesn\u2019t seem pleasant in the way it used to, being somewhere in the middle of a city to sit and relax. There\u2019s no plants, no hanging baskets and it\u2019s not lawned.\u201d<\/p>\n

University students Harvey Adams and Tayla Bryning came to meet up in Piccadilly Gardens having not seen each other for some time.<\/p>\n

The pair, both from Cumbria and near the Lake District, are now at separate universities and have visited Piccadilly Gardens only a handful of times.<\/p>\n

Despite both initially describing it as a \u2018nice place to sit\u2019, they both let out an audible gasp after looking at pictures of the gardens in years gone by.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a nice place to sit down, because we were going to just sit on a kerb so it\u2019s at least somewhere for us to go,\u201d Harvey said.<\/p>\n

\"HarveyHarvey Adams was visiting the city to meet a friend and said it ‘needed more greenery'(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n

\u201cI was looking around at the slabs on the ground which have all just been filled with concrete. Things could definitely be done to improve it. The grass is so dirty.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt needs more greenery. It used to be so much prettier. I understand it can\u2019t be perfect, but it\u2019s very busy and a good place for people to meet up or sit out.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople from Manchester will have a different view. We are from Cumbria, near the Lake District, which everyone who visits thinks is an amazing place.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut when you\u2019re actually from there, people don\u2019t think it\u2019s all that. If I\u2019d have lived here, I\u2019d know Piccadilly Gardens was so much worse than it is now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another woman, who would not be named, was visiting Manchester for the first time from Telford. She said that although it provided a \u2018good place to sit and people watch\u2019, and that it was \u2018fascinating and diverse\u2019, it was in need of a facelift.<\/p>\n

City centre spokesperson, Councillor Pat Karney said work is still being done to generally improve the gardens – both with the police and through a \u2018radical\u2019 overhaul to its appearance due to be announced.<\/p>\n

But he said it would be \u2018stupid to say there isn\u2019t a problem\u2019 that persistently blights the area.<\/p>\n

\"PolicePolice in attendance in Piccadilly Gardens(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n

\u201cI was in Piccadilly Gardens over the weekend and so many people were out and enjoying the sun and having a good time. I live in the city centre and walk through there day and night,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it would be stupid to say that we don\u2019t have a people problem in Piccadilly Gardens.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithout funding for services for drug and alcohol support in the last few years, it has grown a very bad reputation because of the issues associated with it – the drugs, alcohol and other anti-social behaviour.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut a lot of work is being done and we are continuing to work with GMP. We are also planning a radical new transformation to the area.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"SuperintendentSuperintendent Nicola Williams.‘We can’t do it on our own’<\/strong><\/p>\n

Following my afternoon in Piccadilly Gardens, we attended a walkaround with Greater Manchester Police<\/a> and other city-partners to hear about what\u2019s actually being done about the issues.<\/p>\n

As a number of officers huddled together for their briefing, a woman walking with her dog abruptly interrupted.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are they gonna do about these gardens, eh?\u201d she yelled. \u201cYou want to see it at night. You don\u2019t wanna come through here. People are frightened.\u201d<\/p>\n

An officer ushered her to one side. She continued: \u201cThere\u2019s people drinking, doing drugs, smoking that wacky-backy. It\u2019s a disgrace. An utter disgrace.\u201d<\/p>\n

Throughout an hour-long walkaround, officers and council teams spoke with four rough sleepers. A man, sitting in the corner of the gardens, had an injured hand and just a tatty carrier bag of belongings beside him.<\/p>\n

Another young woman, who spent her childhood in care before recently finding herself homeless, was also signposted to support services after being found with injuries.<\/p>\n

A group of officers struggled as they pinned a man to the ground. Moments earlier he had been heard shouting and swearing in front of passers-by.<\/p>\n

He was arrested for a public order offence. Another man was then handcuffed.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This was all at 10am on a regular Wednesday morning.<\/p>\n

\"PolicePolice officers based in the city centre regularly patrol the gardens(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n

Following Operation Vulcan, a targeted 18-month long operation to \u2018root out\u2019 drug dealers and tackle crime in the Piccadilly Gardens area, a new dedicated police team now patrol the area day and night.<\/p>\n

As Superintendent Nicola Williams told the M.E.N, her team\u2019s policing tactics rely on a mix of regular visible patrols, community meetings and briefings, and \u2018targeted activity\u2019 – such as weapon or drug sweeps.<\/p>\n

Much of the police activity happens at night – when people have reported feeling the most unsafe in the area. But Sup. Williams admitted: \u201cThe police alone can\u2019t address all the issues. And there is work to be done.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said: \u201cWe have a dedicated team of eight officers, and we have tweaked the shift patterns to work later evenings, when the public were telling us they were witnessing anti-social behaviour, rough sleeping, drug dealing, drug use and that feeling of not being safe when walking through the area.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe track what\u2019s going on in terms of intelligence coming in, and we also have regular meetings about the gardens and the wider city.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have bi-monthly partner and community meetings where we invite everyone along. We speak to the council, residents, business owners and people who work here who all tell us about what their experiences are.<\/p>\n

\"PolicePolice arrest someone at the scene during the walkaround <\/p>\n

\u201cThe main priority is anti-social behaviour. I am very conscious that is what most people are bothered about here in Piccadilly Gardens.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very much our job to be that visible presence, to deal with anything that we see, but also speak and engage with people and services to solve the problems, followed by targeted activity where necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nicola said the force relies on partnerships with TfGM, the council, CCTV footage and the public to report issues and be \u2018the eyes and ears\u2019 on the ground and to \u2018give people confidence that the police are doing something\u2019.<\/p>\n

Aside from just arresting suspects, police can work with the council to secure criminal behaviour orders against repeat offenders – to effectively ban them from returning to Piccadilly Gardens or the wider city area.<\/p>\n

\"AA new dedicated police team now patrol the area day and night(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t underestimate the challenge we face,\u201d she admitted. \u201cI am realistic. I have worked in neighbourhood policing all my career. Piccadilly Gardens is a particularly challenging space because of the footfall that passes through it every day. It\u2019s 24\/7. And I recognise we can\u2019t be here 24\/7 too.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are adopting a zero-tolerance approach to anti-social behaviour here, so if someone is here behaving in that manner, we will deal with it. If they\u2019re begging, they will get arrested. If they\u2019re smoking a joint, they will get arrested. If we see someone dealing, they will get arrested.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am committed to that because those are the things that really impact people coming to Piccadilly Gardens about their daily business. We don\u2019t want to smell cannabis, see someone who has perhaps been sleeping here all night and potentially under the influence, it doesn\u2019t help people feel safe.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere we can identify that someone is behaving in that manner here and have committed a criminal offence, and it\u2019s impacting negatively on the lives of others, we can look to secure a criminal behaviour order. We will put conditions on that, excluding them from this area or the whole city.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone wants Piccadilly Gardens to be safe, feel safe and pleasant, and that\u2019s our aim. We want Manchester to be a safe place.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a case of continuing our work, continuing to build on those relationships and giving people the confidence in the police to believe we are going to do something.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do feel we are making good strides but we are absolutely not there yet and there is a lot of work to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

“We know how important Piccadilly Gardens is”<\/strong><\/p>\n

A Manchester City Council spokesperson said: \u201cWe know how important Piccadilly Gardens is to Manchester. There have been ongoing improvements to Piccadilly Gardens, which are gradually beginning to make a difference to this busy public space, but we are under no illusion that challenges remain and there is still more to do.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are listening to and acting upon public feedback – and Piccadilly Gardens is changing. In recent times we have demolished the free-standing part of the unpopular wall, which we owned. L&G, who own the pavilion structure, also removed further sections and took away the concrete roof linking the two sections of the pavilion.<\/p>\n

\u201cExtensive police intervention through Operation Vulcan, supported by our community safety teams, and ongoing days of action have brought crime levels down while a series of events such as Easter and Christmas Markets have attracted thousands to enjoy the space. It\u2019s also been busy during the recent sunny weather.<\/p>\n

These improvements help us on our way but we want a revamped Piccadilly Gardens for people to spend time in and pass through which ultimately will make Manchester proud. We are striving behind the scenes to realise our ambitions for the future of Piccadilly Gardens – and deliver something truly transformational \u2013 but is a complex process which we are working on with partners, including TfGM. We are also striving to secure the necessary funding and wider investment to improve the area.<\/p>\n

“We aim to come forward with an update on this vital piece of work later on in the year to make sure Mancunians have the chance to shape the plans we bring forward\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SPECIAL REPORT: Piccadilly Gardens has an image problem and a reputation for trouble – James Holt spent an…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":130100,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,4],"tags":[8829,12,16429,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-130099","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-uk","8":"category-united-kingdom","9":"tag-m-e-n-explore","10":"tag-news","11":"tag-piccadilly-gardens","12":"tag-uk","13":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114567343514549648","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130099","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=130099"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130099\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/130100"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=130099"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=130099"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=130099"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}