Quality Street gang

The Quality Street gang (QSG) were a gang, the principal perpetrators of organised crime in Manchester, England during the 1960s and 1970s.

In 1986, Deputy Chief Constable of the Greater Manchester Police John Stalker was suspended over accusations that, amongst other things, he had attended social events at which members of the gang were present. Stalker was later cleared.

A widely repeated story (Manchester Evening News) relates that in the 1960s, notorious London gangsters the Kray twins set out for Manchester to establish a hold on the city. The story goes that following a meeting between the Quality Street gang and Greater Manchester Police, the Krays were greeted at Manchester Piccadilly station, by massed ranks of police and local gangsters who turned them round and put them back on the train to London.

Although this is a colourful story, which is still told in the pubs and clubs of Manchester, it is unlikely to be true. Highly visible criminals such as the Krays who were being closely watched and monitored by the Flying Squad throughout the 1960s would not have travelled on British Rail.

Further to the story that the Krays came up from London it is reported that the story has some truth in it. The Krays did plan to take over Manchester but rather than come up themselves they sent a representative. This representative went into a Manchester club and tried to force the owner to pay protection money to the Krays to prevent any damage to his club. The owner told him that he already had protection and that any dispute should be discussed with members of the QSG, so the rep waited. The QSG came to the club and put the rep back on the train to London which allegedly ended the Krays interest in Manchester. This act has often been openly attributed to Dougie Flood, a local businessman, Alf Osbiston and possibly Frank Judge, a non QSG member, a local known enforcer and friend of Floods. As of yet, no proof or substance has been offered in support of this story.

References

*Walsh, P. (2005) "Gang War: The Inside Story of the Manchester Gangs" ISBN 1-903854-29-6
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/august/22/newsid_2535000/2535029.stm BBC - On This Day - 22nd August 1986 - Police Chief cleared of misconduct]