The Labour MP for Rochdale Paul Waugh has issued a new statement following the lastest developments over the weekend in the Manchester Airport Video incident
Waugh said that
“When I met the Assistant Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police last Thursday, I made it very clear that any perpetrator of criminal attacks on our police should face the full force of the law. The force had reported that their officers had been subjected to a ‘violent assault’ while trying to make an arrest at Manchester Airport and that an officer had been left with a broken nose. I passed on my concerns for the female police officer and others injured in the incident at Manchester Airport, something I’ve consistently put on record.”
He added that “The video of police officers being attacked is deeply shocking too, and the public will rightly demand that those responsible are brought to justice.”
And he emphisised that it’s important that anyone with any information contacts Greater Manchester Police about the three incidents that preceded the footage people saw last week
It comes after CCTV footage was circulated showing two men appearing to violently attack a group of police at Manchester Airport.
Greater Manchester Police Federation said the new footage cast the incident in “a very different light”, adding that “we need to protect the protectors”.
Richard Cooke, chairman , said the new footage gave a “different perspective altogether”, adding: “We lost over 5,000 colleagues in the year to March voluntarily leaving.
“Assaulted repeatedly, poorly paid for the risks, slagged-off by clueless idiots.
“After this week that trend will only accelerate. I don’t blame any of them.”
Waugh continued in his statement
“All our communities in Rochdale are united in a strong belief in the rule of law, that the criminal justice system should follow the evidence and that offenders should be punished appropriately. It was crucially important that the original, viral footage did not lead to wider violence, and I’m pleased that after I met the brother and parents of those involved in this incident, their pleas for calm and for people not to attend further protests were heeded in Rochdale.
