Four arrested over restaurant shooting

FOUR people have been arrested in connection with a suspected gang-related shooting at Albert’s Worsley restaurant in Salford.

A man in his 30s was blasted in the knee in the car park of the eatery on the East Lancashire Road in Swinton on February 4.

Suspects were yesterday arrested after dawn raids on homes in Pendleton, Irlam and Eccles as part of Operation Macaroni – an investigation into the shooting.

The M.E.N. revealed at the time that detectives were investigating whether the incident was linked to the city’s ‘A-Team’ gang.

The victim of the attack is understood to be a relative of a high-profile member of the group.

A gunman wearing a balaclava and dark clothing approached the victim as he and a friend were on the way to his car having left the restaurant shortly after 9pm.

The victim was taken to hospital with a serious gunshot wound to the leg. He was later discharged.

The shooter fled the scene in silver Ford Focus and police said it was a ‘targeted attack.’

A 32-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder.

A 32-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder and possession with intent to supply Class B drugs.

A 40-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder, and a 43-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of production of cannabis.

Supt Howard Millington, of GMP’s Salford borough, said: “We have been carrying out extensive enquiries into this shooting and we now have four people in custody being questioned by officers.

“I must stress our investigation does not stop here and we will continue to do everything we can to find those connected to this dangerous attack.

“I would continue to appeal to anyone with any information about it to please come forward to police. If you don’t want to talk to us, then you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555 111.”

Anyone with information can call police on 101, quoting refer- ence number 2053 of 04/02/2018, or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

The A-Team based in the Duchy, Irlams o’ th’ Heights and Weaste area, is suspected of being involved in firearms incidents across the city.

A feud between the gang and a splinter group is understood to be behind of a spate of tit-for-tat attacks, which began in the summer of 2014.