Police launch manhunt as pensioner randomly attacked by knifeman near school
A manhunt has been launched after a woman was assaulted by a man who was feared to be armed with a knife, who remains on the run.
Officers from Greater Manchester Police were called on Thursday were called to Crow Hill South, Middleton, to reports of an assault on the victim, aged in her 70s. Local reports suggested she suffered a minor injury to her neck, but escaped the situation without being seriously hurt.
Officers revealed she has been left “quite shaken” by the horror incident and police have since trawled through hundreds of hours of CCTV to build a detailed timeline of events which led to this incident, and the suspect’s movements thereafter. It has now led to the release of an image of a man they want to speak to.
Detective Inspector Kimberley Hines from the Rochdale district said: “We do believe this to be an unprovoked attack which has left a woman incredibly shaken. We know hearing about this incident will be concerning for our communities.
“I want to assure you extensive work is underway to locate the suspect, and we have additional patrols in the area to speak to residents and offer support. We have a team of detectives and police officers working around the clock to identify who is responsible for this attack, and we are appealing to the public who may be able to assist us.
“We have released footage of a man we would like to speak to, as we believe he could have information which is relevant to our investigation. Whilst you cannot see his face in the video, we ask if anyone recognises the clothing or perhaps his build, and can help us identify him – please come forward.”
Anyone with information on the incident can share it by calling 101 quoting log 1007 of 06/03/25. If you would prefer to remain anonymous, information can be shared by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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