SIR Peter Fahy, Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, has criticised seven Tesco stores in Greater Manchester over their mismanagement of the notorious 'Black Friday' sales.
"In Salford a man was arrested after threatening to 'smash' a staff member's face in."
Last night GMP officers were called to seven Tesco stores in Walkden, Wigan, Stretford, Middleton, Salford, Hattersley and on Ashton Road West, as hundreds of bargain-hunters overran security staff and caused bedlam as they scrambled for sale stock.
In Stretford, the store was closed at 12.36am after fights broke out and a woman suffered injury after being hit by a falling television.
In Salford a man was arrested after threatening to 'smash' a staff member's face in, while in Middleton around 200 people refused to leave a store after all sale stock had gone.
Another man was arrested in Hattersley following fighting in-store.
they closed tesco down! 50% of people coming out with TVs 50% coming out on stretchers #tescostretford #wackfriday pic.twitter.com/ggkyWtnTok
— Kat Towers (@kattowers) November 28, 2014
Chief Constable Fahy said:
"The events of last night were totally predictable and I am disappointed that stores did not have sufficient security staff on duty.
"This created situations where we had to deal with crushing, disorder and disputes between customers.
"It does not help that this was in the early hours when police resources are already stretched.
Sir Peter Fahy
"Across Greater Manchester large supermarkets already make significant demands on policing through calls to shoplifting, anti-social behaviour and thefts of fuel from their petrol stations - much of which is preventable.
"We just ask these stores to work with us to reduce the demands on policing and reduce the risks of disorder and crime."
