Three people have been arrested as police in Oldham step up patrols after a disturbing video showing a young man being seriously assaulted was posted on social media. 

The incident happened on 21 June but footage of the attack, carried out by a gang of youths in an alleyway off Featherstall Road North, has only just been circulating. 

In the harrowing video, the male student is repeatedly punched, kicked and stamped on before being pinned to the ground and stripped of his clothes in a vicious ordeal lasting nearly five minutes. 

It's understood he has been released from hospital and is recovering from his injuries. 

Three arrests have since been made in connection with the incident. 

On Saturday evening (2 July), police received reports of a group of people attacking three properties in the Westwood and Werneth areas of Oldham.

Initial enquiries suggest that this was in retaliation to the video of the assault being shared online.

With tensions high, dozens of angry residents gathered in the Grand Venue car park on Sunday (3 July) for a meeting, which local councillors and police also attended, to raise their concerns. 

Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Walker, of GMP's Oldham District, said: “We are fully aware of the situation in Oldham yesterday and we have since launched an investigation in which we are following up on a number of lines of enquiry to establish who the offenders are.

“I’d like to reassure the public that we believe these incidents to be targeted with no wider risk to the public.

"There will be an enhanced police presence in the area today and I’d like to ask any member of the public who has concerns about the events of yesterday, or anyone who has any information at all to please contact police”.

"We will not tolerate any acts of violence and we are doing all we can to identify the people involved”.

Anyone with information is asked to contact 101, quoting log 1708 of 3 July 2022. 

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