‘Rat urine…’: 50 customers rescued after a lock in Manchester store | World news
At least 50 people have been rescued from a rat-infested shop selling knockoff designer clothes on Manchester’s Counterfeit Street. The Manchester Evening News reported that they had been forced into the store, with some on the ground floor with no way out. The police came to their rescue on Sunday during routine surveillance after noticing a suspicious person trying to lock the locks of the house.
The customers fled when the police opened the lock. The report added that a 60-year-old man was arrested by the police after the incident. More customers were found in three rooms on the second and third floors. They were locked up against their will when the man saw the police.
During the search of the property, we discovered that there was a large amount of rat urine and dirt everywhere on the premises, including on the shelves and all the clothes, underwear, and cosmetics for sale in the store. “Workers discovered incredibly dangerous infrastructure and signs of abusive work, including an indoor air-conditioning system that workers had made by drilling holes into pipes on the ceiling,” Manchester Evening News quoted a police source as saying.
Police seized 20 tonnes of fake designer clothes, shoes, perfumes and cosmetics from the house.
Reportedly, the condition of the ground is so pathetic that the workers cannot even find the ground for the boxes and bags full of items to be sold. “The condition of this building is disgusting and structurally unsafe. “My team found members of the public trapped on the upper floor with no way out,” Metro chief superintendent Neil Blackwood said.
“This is not the first time we have had to evict members of the public from these buildings, but I urge people to think twice about entering these shops,” he further said.
“By entering these shops, you are not only putting yourself in danger and in danger of changing staff, but you are financing a serious crime that has a devastating effect on the local community. These people do not care for your peace; they are trying to make some quick money,” he added.
