Armed police to patrol city centre on New Year’s Eve

ARMED police will be among the officers patrolling Manchester city centre on New Year’s Eve.

Thousands of people look set to descend on the city centre to ring in the new year on Tuesday.

Both visible and plain-clothed police officers will be patrolling the city, with support from armed officers to ensure everyone can enjoy the celebrations.

Volunteers from St John Ambulance, the Village Angels and street pastors will also be out to offer assistance to anyone who needs it.

Chief Inspector Zac Fraser, of Greater Manchester Police’s city of Manchester division, said: “As with Christmas, we always plan ahead for New Year working alongside other emergency services and partners to ensure we have a well-rounded plan in place.

“We expect to welcome thousands of people to Manchester city centre for New Years’ Eve and we hope they have a fantastic time.

“There will be a mixture of visible and plain-clothed patrols in and around the city, with support from armed officers to ensure that members of the public have an enjoyable celebration.

“Our officers will also be working collectively with organisations such as St John Ambulance, Village Angels and street pastors to name a few to keep everyone safe.”

He added: “We would like to remind everyone going out over this period to stay with friends and never go off alone, keep your valuables out of sight and always arrange how you will get home after a night out.

“We’d also like to remind people to remain vigilant and if they are concerned with anything, they should report it to us as soon as possible either via the LiveChat function on our website or by calling 101.

“Always dial 999 in an emergency.”