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A national campaign has been launched intent on educating and empowering men to ‘Walk Away’ from escalating situations whilst on nights out, which could lead to violence, or in extreme cases, death.

the last five years in Greater Manchester, nine men have lost their lives from a single punch or shove.

In the same time frame, there have been 92 cases of grievous bodily harm where a single punch has caused serious, but thankfully survivable, injuries.

One of the tragic victims of such an attack was window cleaner Paul Ologbose.

Window cleaner Paul Ologbose was fatally injured in an attack outside the Kensington Tavern in Higher Folds, Leigh, when Paul Brierley landed a single blow during a row.

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He was fatally injured outside the Kensington Tavern in Higher Folds, Leigh, when Paul Brierley landed a single blow during a row on January 23 last year.

The punch had caused the victim to fall to the ground and bang his head.

Brierley, 44, was later jailed for six years and eight months after pleading guilty to Mr Ologbose’s manslaughter.

Police say that this and all the other fatal and serious injury incidents, plus the damage they caused to the victims and their loved ones, were totally avoidable.

Greater Manchester Police, the Violence Reduction Unit, and partners, such as licensing teams, are supporting the campaign as part of the ongoing commitment to tackling serious violence and reducing homicide across the region.

The campaign has also been endorsed locally by Sacha Lord, Greater Manchester’s Night Time Economy Advisor.

The public can expect stepped up visible and plain clothed patrols across the next few weeks in hotspot areas, as pubs, bars and clubs see increased numbers of patrons enjoying the festivities, and then bringing in the new year.

Last year, GMP sat down with Debbie Wood, the wife of Kevin Wood who tragically lost his life after being punched outside The Printworks in central Manchester. Kevin was the victim of an unprovoked attack, with his attacker high on cocaine at the time. Here, Debbie encourages people to think about their decisions and the impact those can have on others.

Collectively, everyone can help keep Greater Manchester’s thriving night time economy safe for all to enjoy.

For more information on the campaign, visit the dedicated website www.wewalkaway.uk.

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