"Once a Footballer’s Paradise, This Town Now Faces a Stabbing Crisis: Locals Say ‘Bring a Knife-Proof Vest’"

A HISTORIC market town with an array of fancy restaurants and top schools, all within a few miles of four Premier League clubs, is always going to attract wealthy footballers and glamorous WAGS.

But this middle class metropolis beloved by top sports stars, famous musicians, and the glitterati has earned the new sobriquet ”Stabbing Central” after a wave of late-night violent .

Police at the scene of a horror fight in the town centre last yearCredit: MEN Media Tyson Fury’s cousin Rico Burton was stabbed to death outside a pub in AltrinchamCredit: Instagram Forensic police at the scene of a stabbing in the town in DecemberCredit: MEN Media

While the well-heeled town of Altrincham in Trafford, Greater , has been deemed the sixth happiest place to live in the UK, many locals are now living in fear of who are exploiting ‘s Metrolink tram system to bring terror to its streets.

Alongside its soaring success, Altrincham has become riddled with a wave of crime which left a relative of champ dead, one man paralysed for life, and multiple others seriously wounded.

Attracted by £2 shots and cheap cocktail offers, thugs far and wide are causing chaos on the streets of the upmarket town, where mega mansions regularly sell for up to £12million.

The current crime rate in Altrincham is 104.1 per 1000 residents – 25 per cent above the national average of 83.5 crimes per 1000 residents. This puts the town in the bottom half of the safest areas in the UK.

One local bar owner told The Sun: ”Some of our customers regularly joke we should hand out complimentary stab-proof vests with every round of drinks, but sadly, Altrincham’s increasing violence is a symptom of the fact it’s becoming a victim of its own success.

”Too many bars are open until 3am when frankly 1am will suffice. The fact that they sell cheap shots makes it a lethal cocktail when it comes to going out.

”Footballers and their would often come to Altrincham because of its reputation as a well-heeled and wealthy town steeped in .

“I can only suppose the violence makes them too fearful to come here now.”

With , , and all within a short distance, many Premier League stars have found themselves in the town.

, , and all have houses in the area – while legend lived there for many years before his death in 2009.

Other A-listers that have previously lived in the area include footballers and – while ‘s and Stone Roses’ frontman Ian Brown are often spotted in the area.

Wave of violence

The epicentre of the violence is the town’s Goose Green. Once the site of cottages for local agricultural workers in the 17th Century, it has now been hailed as a “mini New Orleans” with a raft of bars offering cheap drinks with live music until 3am following a £1.5million investment in the square from Trafford Council in 2015.

This brought new paving, lighting, trees and the distinctive geese sculpture as a nod to its former goose market.

But unfortunately, a wave of violence has come with it, too.

Mourners attend the funeral of Tyson Fury’s cousin Rico Burton, who was stabbed to death in Altrincham in 2022Credit: LNP Totties Bar, a lap-dancing club in Altrincham, lost its licence to operate as a nightclub following a series of violent incidents outside the venueCredit: Google Liam O’Pray was sentenced to a minimum term of 28 years for the murder of Rico BurtonCredit: Greater Manchester Police

In 2023, Rico Burton, 31, a cousin of , had been watching the v fight and enjoying drinks in the enclave – only to be fatally stabbed in the neck by a lone stranger out looking for trouble.

His killer, Liam O’Pray, 22, who had , and in his system, had been out with pals in Wythenshawe and Sale on August 21 but became separated from his group and ended up in Goose Green at around 2.45am.

He went to Trader’s Tiki Bar but, on being told to leave by a doorman, said: ”I’ll back!” before accosting the manageress of the nearby former King Pong bar as she was checking IDs.

“When told to go away, he told her: “Come on, it’s just me, I’m on my own, just let me in. I want to go and see,” he then threatened to blow the place up and “end her life”.

[You] need a stab vest to drink here – very rough

Altrincham local on Goose Green

He tried to force his way past a barrier separating King Pong from The Green Room bar, but when he was ejected again, he climbed over the railings in a bid to gain entry, claiming to have lost his phone, and fighting broke out.

Rico, who was standing outside in the square, tried to act as a peacemaker, but O’Pray, who was said to be ‘bouncing’, lashed out with a lock knife hidden in his pocket and knifed him in the neck before slashing another man in the arm and stomach.

Witnesses saw Rico stagger, holding the left side of his neck and struggling to breathe. He went into cardiac arrest and was declared dead in hospital at 4.35am.

Manchester United left-back Luke Shaw and his partner Anouska Santos both live in the townCredit: PA The middle class metropolis has long attracted wealthy footballers and their glamorous WAGS thanks to its array of fancy restaurants and top schoolsCredit: Alamy England star Harry Maguire and his wife Fern Hawkins are often spotted in the areaCredit: Instagram A barista serving a customer at in Altrincham, which has become riddled with a wave of crimeCredit: Alamy

O’Pray from was later convicted of murder and wounding and was jailed for life.

Fury himself said: “The is supposed to be one of the safest countries in the world, and yet we can’t go down the street with a watch on our wrist or anything because we’re going to get stabbed.

“The government needs to make this tougher on these little cowards who carry knives and weapons.”

Strip club attack

Last month, Max Morrison and Harrison Brennan, both in their 20s, were stabbed and seriously injured, whilst a middle-aged couple aged 51 and 52 who were in the wrong place at the wrong time were beaten up when a knifeman went berserk at 2am outside the town’s hospital, which overlooks Goose Green.

One of the young men was stabbed in the chest whilst the other was slashed across his face and will be scarred for life.

A man aged 21 – who lives 15 miles away in Partington – is currently awaiting trial charged with assault and attempted murder.

Details of the incident are not yet known, but a recent Facebook picture showed him standing outside a pub opposite Altrincham Tram and Bus Interchange, clutching a bottle of Brown Ale and defiantly flicking the Vs at the camera.

Last July, former lap dancing club Totties – a one-time favourite haunt of Premier League stars – lost its licence to operate as a nightclub following a series of violent incidents outside the venue.

Paul Pogba and his wife Maria Zulay Salaues previously lived in the areaCredit: AFP Phil Neville and Julie Neville are often seen in AltrinchamCredit: Alamy Marcus Rashford and his partner Lucia Loi also live in the townCredit: Getty Tyson Fury declared the UK ‘wasn’t safe’ after his cousin was killed in AltrinchamCredit: Getty

Councillors were shown footage of multiple brawls on The Causeway outside, with at least two men knocked unconscious.

One incident showed people taking nitrous oxide before large-scale fights broke out, while another captured a man retrieving a machete from his car before entering the club.

The incidents occurred in March, April and May this year, sometimes up to an hour after the club should have closed.

In June 2024, at Totties, company director, Rob Harris, 52, was left paralysed after being pushed down stairs by an intoxicated stranger, who was later sentenced to 16 years in .

The dad-of-two, who had been celebrating a friend’s birthday, was wearing a surgical boot and using a crutch at the time due to an injury and was leaving the club at 2am when a “heavily intoxicated” Niall Peak pushed him down a steep staircase with both hands.

Mr Harris broke his neck in the assault, which was caught on CCTV, and has spent the last nine months in hospital after suffering a serious spinal injury.

He has since come close to death on numerous occasions after suffering 15 cardiac arrests, several bouts of serious infection, pneumonia, blocked airways and two serious choking incidents.

Peak, 32, of no fixed address, was later convicted of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, but Rob told him: ‘What you did was cowardly and unforgivable.

“In truth, a part of me has died, and the life I’ve known for 52 years has been taken from me, a life I’ve worked so hard to create.”

Last week, it was announced that Goose Green had been sold to a new owner who called it a ”hidden gem.”

But one local said on Facebook: ”Hopefully the new owners can rid the area of the undesirables that currently spend their weekends there stabbing people.”

Another said: ”Need a stab vest to drink here – very rough!”