Four people have been arrested after a high speed police chase through the streets of Pendleton and Ordsall.
In a bid to escape the fleeing suspects crashed the car onto a train line at Salford Crescent and legged it on foot before being arrested by armed police.
One man – the driver of a white Audi chased through Salford – has been arrested on suspicion of carrying out a robbery and a serious assault.
Police said one of the men had been “wanted for some time for serious and violent offences” but said none of the men were armed at the time they were taken in.
Newspaper reports that the men had pulled out weapons when they were finally stopped at Salford Crescent station this afternoon appear to be false.
The three other men in the car were arrested on suspicion of stealing the vehicle.
All four remain in police custody this afternoon.
It’s suspected the car was stolen after a robbery elsewhere in Manchester.
The men were spotted earlier that day changing the car’s numberplates, and that’s when the police chase began.
Police pursuit drivers from the Specialist Operations Unit tried to pull the car over, boxing it in and trying to spin it out of control.
In a statement Greater Manchester Police categorically denied that any of its cars had overturned during the highly-visible high-speed chase.
Around 11.30am on Thursday 28 July, eyewitnesses reported how police were chasing a white Audi A3 around the Oldfield Road and Liverpool Street area of Salford.
Messages and pictures started to flood in to the SalfordOnline newsdesk via Facebook and Twitter, with readers reporting seeing armed police and tactical support units set up at points throughout the chase route.
Tactical and operational support came from the police helicopter which hovered low over Salford precinct.
Despite attempts to disable the car the driver managed to evade police in a half-hour chase through residential and shopping streets.
It’s believed the arrested men may have carried out an armed robbery elsewhere in Greater Manchester and had stopped off in Salford to change the plates.
The fleeing men – driving at high speed – were tracked to Salford Crescent station off the A6 Crescent in central Salford, where a car was reported crashing onto the railway line.
The driver and occupants ran from the car and fled onto the tracks.
National Rail tweeted about a “trespass incident” at Salford Crescent station saying disruption and delays were expected until 1.10pm.
The rail operator has now said the incident at Salford Crescent was over within two hours and all train lines had reopened.
Lines have now reopened at #SalfordCrescent https://t.co/h53dCjkC02
— National Rail (@NRE_Northern) July 28, 2016
Chief Inspector Mark Dexter from GMP’s Specialist Operations Branch said: “A number of resources including the police helicopter were deployed today following a pursuit which resulted in the arrest of four men, one who has been wanted for some time for serious offences.
“I am aware of a number of reports on social media of police vehicles being overturned which I would like to clarify as incorrect.
“Despite the offenders making a very determined effort to escape, only one police vehicle suffered minor damage whilst blocking the Audi in to bring the pursuit to a conclusion.
“I do however recognise that the level of police activity may have been a concern for some people and I want to give reassurance that there was no wider threat to the community.
“The presence of armed patrols in the area was not in response to any armed threat, rather they were assisting other colleagues as part of their core duties.
“We now have four people in custody in connection with this incident and they will be questioned by detectives today.”
