A scheme designed to improve safety in Rochdale town centre has received a prestigious national award after judges concluded that conditions had advanced from “complete free-for-all” to “occasionally manageable”.
Operation Tetbury was named Best Safety, Security and Resilience Scheme at the 2026 Town and City Management Industry Awards, recognising efforts by police, council officers, businesses and support services to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour across the town centre.
Launched last year, the operation has focused on issues including shoplifting, drug use, illegal trading, off-road bikes, graffiti and the sort of public behaviour that makes visitors instinctively check whether they’ve accidentally wandered into a lost episode of Shameless.
Council officials praised the award as recognition of a sustained effort to improve standards and create a safer environment for residents, shoppers and businesses.
Among the successes highlighted were the closure of several shops allegedly operating as fronts for counterfeit goods, along with a crackdown on anti-social behaviour that had become so commonplace many residents assumed it was part of the town’s heritage offering.
Regular visitors have reported noticeable improvements.
“At one point you couldn’t walk fifty yards without being offered counterfeit cigarettes, a stolen bicycle or an investment opportunity involving cryptocurrency,” said one shopper. “Now it’s mostly just charity collectors and people asking for directions.”
The operation has also reportedly reduced incidents of public nuisance that had become an unofficial feature of the evening economy, including drunken arguments, impromptu street performances, and awkward encounters in alleyways involving individuals offering a surprisingly broad range of personal services to complete strangers.
Judges praised the partnership approach taken by local agencies, noting that making a town centre safer is considerably easier when everyone is working together rather than pointing at each other during committee meetings.
Reporting from down the M62, this newspaper understands Operation Tetbury will continue throughout the year. Officials remain hopeful that future awards could be secured if they can successfully tackle the remaining challenges of anti-social behaviour, illegal trading and the mysterious phenomenon whereby every town centre bench appears to attract at least one man loudly discussing conspiracy theories before 10am.
At the time of publication, residents were already campaigning for the next phase of the scheme, tentatively titled “Operation Please Just Behave Normally For Five Minutes”.
