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On 8th July, a crowd of more than 1000 youths besieged the police station at Moss Side, Manchester. All windows in the building were broken, and twelve police vehicles were set on fire. Police reinforcements equipped with riot shields and protective crash helmets were deployed around the station. A second attempt was made by crowds to attack the police station and during this time a policeman was shot with a crossbow bolt through his leg.
The rioting lasted for some 48 hours over two nights, ending on the night of July 11th, when Chief Constable James Anderton ordered his officers to advance and clear the streets of rioters in a massive show of force. A mobile task force of 560 officers in 50 transit vans and landrovers had been assembled in local police stations. His tactics involved vehicles containing “snatch squads” being driven at high speed into groups of rioters with officers leaping out to make arrests. Over two hours, 150 people were arrested with no police injuries reported. Afterwards, the Moss Side section of Princess Road was closed for several days while adjacent buildings and gas mains damaged in the riot and fires were made safe.
After the riots there were allegations from both local residents, community leaders, and lawyers that groups of police officers in vans had been observed cruising the streets of Moss Side racially abusing and using indiscriminate violence against any young people seen on the streets.
Images below:
1981 Images of the Church and community demonstrating against incidents of police brutality after Hartley Hanley (Project Leader) had been assaulted in police custody.
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After the ‘riots’ in 1981, the church wanted to find ways of supporting and showing solidarity with Hideaway young people and staff. The church had moved around, worshipping in various places after the demolition of the Baptist Church building in the early 70s and so they decided to move back ‘home’ into the Hideaway building to share the space and stand alongside the Hideaway.
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Baptist church time: home mission article
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The community and church wait with bated breath at Manchester Magistrates Court for the outcome of Hartley Hanley’s appeal – the appeal was allowed!
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The Church extended its support to the young people in the area through the Hulme and Moss Side Christian Fellowship which developed an employment programme
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1st image, Manchester City goal keeper presents a five aside trophy to Michael McLean, Skipper of the Hideaway Youth Project, who beat Astro FC.
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The Council of the City of Manchester invited The Hideaway Youth Project to a reception in the Town Hall to mark the success of winning the NatWest Five-a-side Supercup 1985
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Hideaway are invited to the official launch of the Moss Side & District Sports Foundation
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In 1985, Chief Inspector Clinton told Moberley Parish Council, “We don’t have black people in Wilmslow. It is obvious that they are strangers. There is nothing in Wilmslow to attract people from Moss Side except the houses.” The church protested publically, along with other local churches, by marching through Wilmslow accompanied by prayer and song – and then having a picnic!
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The ‘rough justice of racism’ new article
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Report on The Hideaway Youth Project outlines the organisation's evolution from a small, volunteer-led youth club in the basement of a Baptist church in Moss Side to a vital community hub addressing the complex needs of Black young people.
It highlights how the 1981 Moss Side disturbances marked a turning point for Hideaway, prompting a shift from traditional youth work focused on control and compliance to a more progressive, needs-led approach. The project began prioritising empowerment, political education, and practical support for young people, particularly in response to systemic racism, police harassment, and social inequality.
The report details the organisation’s efforts to provide holistic support, including welfare advice, parental support, employment training, and mental health advocacy, all while collaborating with local agencies and confronting institutional barriers.
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The Baptist Times reports on the continuing impact of Home Mission and the formation of United People’s Church
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Sometime between late 80’s and early 90’s – The success of a group from Moss Side’s Hideaway Youth Project in raising £10,000 for an exchange trip to Jamaica.
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