Experts have warned ‘a child could be killed’ as the sickening trend of children filming attacks on other kids grows.
The National Bullying Helpline has told Sky News there was an ‘escalating problem of children filming violence against other children then uploading to social media’.
The half-brother of a 13-year-old girl from Greater Manchester who was dragged to the ground by her hair and kicked in the head by other youngsters has issued the stark warning, saying ‘a child could be killed’.
The victim was leaving school and heading home at the end of the day when she was attacked at the gates.
A video of the assault circulated online as children in Rochdale shared it with others, just before the Easter holidays.
What appears to be two dozen other children are gathered around yelling and cheering.
An adult witness told Sky News there were around 40 kids present at the attack, which experts say is becoming a ‘sickening’ and ‘growing’ trend in Britain’s schools.
The motive for the attack was quite possibly the videos themselves — with a moment of notoriety on social media with content shared in private chats on WhatsApp, TikTok and Snapchat.
A fair number of the children present had their camera phones at the ready and seemed to understand that an ambush was coming.
At least one of the youths filming joined in on the assault and kicked the victim as she lay on the ground. Even the victim had found out via social media that there was an attack planned.
It’s part of what the National Bullying Helpline told Sky News was an ‘escalating problem of children filming violence against other children then uploading to social media’.
Courageously, the 13-year-old girl who was ambushed just before the Easter holidays wanted to speak out about it — she is being kept anonymous, though she accepts everyone in her school knows what happened.
She described how she felt afterwards saying: “I had a black eye. My head hurt every time I spoke. I couldn’t laugh because my head hurt.
“I couldn’t move my neck. My back was sore. I have a scar on my knee that they cut open. I don’t really like walking around now where I know people from the school are going to be, because pretty much everyone in my school knows about it.
“And I’m kind of glad that I don’t have a phone because I feel like I’d just be getting messaged about it all the time.” She no longer has a mobile phone because her attackers stamped on it.
Billy, 44, who is the half-brother and legal guardian of the victim, says this is becoming a dangerous craze.
He told Sky News: “They pick on someone who’s normally quiet, somebody who doesn’t bother anybody, they’ll then use that person as a target to create this online content. And it’s getting more vicious as each attack comes.
“I don’t believe my sister has any long-running rivalries within the school. I believe this was created solely for the content of the internet. A child is going to lose their life from this craze. It’s happening all over the country.”
Christine Pratt, the founder of the National Bullying Helpline, said: “Increased calls to the National Bullying Helpline flag up this increasingly popular, but sickening, trend.
“This particular behaviour [filming abuse to upload to social media] is seen as ‘sport’ and amusement, often led by gangs and school bullies who seek power and attention. It is classic bullying.
“When it is posted ‘online’ the abuse takes a new form. The victim is further ridiculed. Once on social media, it is ‘out there’.
“We hear about this practice occurring most weeks. It is usually the parent who calls us. They often struggle to persuade a school to believe them and/or take it seriously, investigate or deal with the perpetrators.”
The headteacher of the unnamed school told Sky News: “These stories will, of course, concern families who are part of our school community. Mutual respect, positive behaviour, and high standards are central to everything we do.
“In cases where members of our school community fall short of the expectations of leadership, staff, pupils and their families, nationally guided procedures are followed.”
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said: “We would encourage anyone who is subject to offences on social media that encourages violence against another human being, to have the confidence to report them immediately to GMP via 101 or 999 in an emergency.
“Greater Manchester Police is committed to investigating each and every complaint received of this nature and bringing the perpetrators to justice, because those who are inciting violence through the use of social media, are committing crimes.”
The attack is currently being investigated by the school and by the police, according to Sky News.
After years of will-they-won’t-they speculation, Oasis are officially BACK together for a reunion tour. The Gallagher brothers have put aside their differences in the name of music, making thousands of fans extremely happy in the process.
The band teased the news on their socials over the weekend, posting a video on Sunday morning with today’s date (Tuesday, August 27th) and the time 8am.
The legendary Mancunian rockers will take to the stage next summer, with gigs in Cardiff, London, Edinburgh, Dublin and, of course, Manchester.
15 years after splitting, the band confirmed they would be back for 14 shows, saying: “The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised”.
The gigs will be Oasis’s ‘only shows in Europe next year’, with tickets on sale this Saturday at 8am in Ireland and 9am in the UK.
Stagecoach Manchester is hiring over 100 new bus drivers to work from its Oldham depot, following the second phase of the Bee Network launch in March.
You can apply for a range of roles, from positions with no experience required to fully qualified bus drivers.
Successful applicants will receive full training as part of the job, and trainees will get paid to train. Then after only 12 months’ service at Stagecoach, drivers can expect to earn up to £16 per hour, which equates to £31.6K per year, before overtime.
As well as that, drivers that already hold a PCV licence may be eligible to receive a £1,200 joining bonus.
Stagecoach
There’s also a host of other benefits available to all Stagecoach employees, like 28 days paid holiday, generous pension and free Stagecoach bus travel for successful applicants and a companion.
Rob Jones, Managing Director at Stagecoach Manchester said: “Expanding our offering in Oldham means we’ll be investing more in the economy and supporting our local community, as well as strengthening our workforce.
“Whether you’re looking for a career change or you’re a fully qualified, experienced bus driver, there’s a role for everyone here in Oldham. “We’re looking for personable and dedicated drivers who are ready to help us build on the success of the Bee Network and connect the people of Oldham and Greater Manchester with the places and people that are important to them.”
Stagecoach
Phil Cornwall, bus driver at Stagecoach Manchester, said: “I’ve been a driver at Stagecoach for 25 years and I couldn’t recommend it more.
“From the perks to the people to the passengers, it really is a great place to work.”
Two men have now been charged with murder, following the discovery of a human torso in Kersal Dale.
As well as that, more suspected human remains were also discovered this morning, Monday April 29th, in an alleyway close to the railway lines off Worsley Road, Eccles.
This follows earlier discoveries of human remains over the past three weeks, at Kersal Dale, Blackleach Reservoir and Colliery Wood, all in Salford.
Greater Manchester Police
Michal Jaroslaw Polchowski (25/04/1956) and Marcin Majerkiewicz (10/04/1982) both of Worsley Road, Eccles, have been charged with murder.
They are set to appear at Tameside Magistrates Court this afternoon.
While formal identification is still ongoing, the remains found at Kersal Dale are believed to be of a local man in his 60s. The remains found at the other three locations are still to be tested, but police are confident they belong to the same victim.
ACC Sarah Jackson said: “We have had large numbers of officers, staff and specialists working diligently on this investigation over the last three weeks. It has been very much a large, collective effort, with the victim and family at the heart of it from the outset.
“We have specially trained officers deployed to support the family as they come to terms with this tragic news. They are aware of this morning’s further discovery and will continue to be kept up to date with how we are progressing.
“Despite the charges brought today, our work is far from over.
“The scenes we already have established in Bury and Salford will remain in place for much of this week whilst our searches and enquiries continue. Local officers will continue to patrol the impacted areas to provide reassurance.
“We will continue following every line of enquiry to recover and reunite the victim with his family, bringing a dignified end to this terrible scenario.
“I’d like to thank the communities of Salford and beyond for their cooperation throughout this investigation. I know this incident has come as a shock, and the support we’ve had from those in the area is very much appreciated.”