Huge police presence at retail park after hundreds gather for 'illegal car meet'

Police descended on a retail park in an attempt to prevent a huge car meet this evening.

Several police vehicles were spotted blocking the entrance to Snipe Retail Park in Ashton-under-Lyne at about 7pm today. Greater Manchester Police said officers had received reports of "custom motor vehicles" trying to attend the illegal event.

In a post on X, GMP Traffic wrote: "Sincere thanks to the public who waited patiently as we filtered access to the Snipe Retail Park in Ashton this evening.

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"Our patrols responded to reports of custom motor vehicles attempting to attend that location, for the purposes of an illegal car meet. ASB? No thanks!"

After being turning away from the retail park, many of the vehicles in attendance reportedly headed to Crown Point North Shopping Park in Denton.

One eyewitness described scenes of "chaos" as hundreds of cars tried to gain entry to the retail park. The vehicles later headed to Wilmslow Road in Rusholme, where a police helicopter was seen flying overhead.

By around 9.30pm the vehicles had moved on towards Stockport.

"It's gridlock," said one person attending the event. "There must be hundreds of cars here revving. They're just playing cat and mouse with the police."