Harpur Hill couple threatened with ‘three-foot machete’ by youths on way to ‘Blue Lagoon’

Neil, a lorry driver who has lived in the village for 13 years, said the terrifying scene unfolded when a homeowner asked a group of young men to move their car.

Lorry driver Neil said the scared couple described how one of the gang got out of a white Audi and ran at them with the weapon.

It is understood the couple were able to get safely back inside their home before they were hurt and reported the incident - which happened on the afternoon of Tuesday June 2 - to the police.

However this is just one of a long list of ‘violent and abusive’ scenes witnessed around the village since visitors began turning up in large numbers in search of Hoffman Quarry’s toxic turquoise waters.

Fifty-two-year-old Neil said in two separate incidents a woman was threatened with a Stanley knife in a similar altercation and a nurse had bottles thrown at her after a 12-hour shift at Macclesfield Hospital.

Cooler weather this week has meant a reduction in the numbers of visitors but Neil fears ‘if it kicks off again it will only be a matter of time before someone gets seriously hurt’.

It is understood a three-year-old French bulldog died late last month after possibly eating something toxic near the quarry.

Neil said: “We have a lot of young people coming to have a good time and most of them are reasonably innocent.

“But there are also people with gang affiliations who are coming to sell drugs.

“This is chaos coming to the streets of small town England - you have people standing in their gardens defending their property.

“Whereas only three weeks ago you had people taking their daily exercise at the quarry, you wouldn’t take an adult there now.”

“Police are so understaffed it really is the thin blue line up there now - but you just sort of feel like you’re abandoned.”

Sergeant Adam Harrison, said: “We received reports from a member of the public that they were threatened with a weapon – officers are following a number of lines of enquiry and the investigation continues. Anyone with information is asked to contact us with reference 20*280978

“There is a well-detailed multi-agency operation for the issues at Harpur Hill due to the large numbers of people trespassing on the former quarry site and putting themselves at significant danger by swimming in the water there.

“A patrol strategy is in in place and nearly 50 parking fines were issued last weekend – along with two cars seized due the dangerous nature of their parking.

“We would echo the call from both High Peak Borough Council and the Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service for people to not enter the site and not swim in the water.

The dangers posed by these bodies of water are many, varied and potentially fatal.”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper.

Thank you

Nancy Fielder, editor