Quality Street gang
Encyclopedia
The Quality Street Gang was a name given to a group of criminals operating in Manchester
in the 1960s and 1970s. Although the group was considered by some senior officers in the Greater Manchester Police
to be the instigators of much of Manchester's major crime, many others believed that the gang was nothing more than a social friendship between a group of men, most of whom had criminal record
s. Certainly in the 20 years that the group was supposedly organising the city's crime, none of its alleged members was ever convicted of serious crimes.
The Quality Street Gang was reportedly named after an advertisement for Quality Street confectionery which featured a group of fashionably dressed people: as the "gang" walked into a pub, a wag supposedly shouted "It's the Quality Street Gang" and the name stuck. The gang was also at one point attached to a story about the Kray twins
coming to Manchester to expand their turf, but being turned around at Manchester Piccadilly and put back on the train to London
. In 2008 Daniel Flood gave evidence in a High Court hearing that his father Douglas Firkin-Flood had been a member of the gang who had been involved in the fight, although the claim was later denied by Flood's son Ian, who pointed out that several conflicting versions of the story exist. On his website, the former gangster Frankie Fraser
doubts that the incident ever happened, as the Krays travelled exclusively by car and were uninterested in expanding their territory outside London.
In 1986, John Stalker
, Deputy Chief Constable of the Greater Manchester Police
, was suspended over accusations that, among other things, he had attended social events at which members of the gang were present. Stalker was later cleared.
The Quality Street Gang are the subject of the Thin Lizzy
song The Boys Are Back In Town
, as specified by the liner notes.
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
in the 1960s and 1970s. Although the group was considered by some senior officers in the Greater Manchester Police
Greater Manchester Police
Greater Manchester Police is the police force responsible for law enforcement within the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester in North West England...
to be the instigators of much of Manchester's major crime, many others believed that the gang was nothing more than a social friendship between a group of men, most of whom had criminal record
Criminal record
A criminal record is a record of a person's criminal history, generally used by potential employers, lenders etc. to assess his or her trustworthiness. The information included in a criminal record varies between countries and even between jurisdictions within a country...
s. Certainly in the 20 years that the group was supposedly organising the city's crime, none of its alleged members was ever convicted of serious crimes.
The Quality Street Gang was reportedly named after an advertisement for Quality Street confectionery which featured a group of fashionably dressed people: as the "gang" walked into a pub, a wag supposedly shouted "It's the Quality Street Gang" and the name stuck. The gang was also at one point attached to a story about the Kray twins
Kray twins
Reginald "Reggie" Kray and his twin brother Ronald "Ronnie" Kray were the foremost perpetrators of organised crime in London's East End during the 1950s and 1960s...
coming to Manchester to expand their turf, but being turned around at Manchester Piccadilly and put back on the train to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. In 2008 Daniel Flood gave evidence in a High Court hearing that his father Douglas Firkin-Flood had been a member of the gang who had been involved in the fight, although the claim was later denied by Flood's son Ian, who pointed out that several conflicting versions of the story exist. On his website, the former gangster Frankie Fraser
Frankie Fraser
Francis Davidson Fraser is a former British criminal and gang member who spent 42 years in prison for numerous violent offences.-Early life:...
doubts that the incident ever happened, as the Krays travelled exclusively by car and were uninterested in expanding their territory outside London.
In 1986, John Stalker
John Stalker
John Stalker is a former Deputy Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, now residing in Lymm. He headed the Stalker Inquiry that investigated the shooting of suspected members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army in 1982. He has also had a television and literary career.-Career:Stalker...
, Deputy Chief Constable of the Greater Manchester Police
Greater Manchester Police
Greater Manchester Police is the police force responsible for law enforcement within the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester in North West England...
, was suspended over accusations that, among other things, he had attended social events at which members of the gang were present. Stalker was later cleared.
The Quality Street Gang are the subject of the Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Two of the founding members, drummer Brian Downey and bass guitarist/vocalist Phil Lynott met while still in school. Lynott assumed the role of frontman and led them throughout their recording career of thirteen studio albums...
song The Boys Are Back In Town
The Boys Are Back in Town
"The Boys Are Back in Town" is a single from Irish hard rock band Thin Lizzy. The song came out in 1976 on their album Jailbreak. It was honoured with the 499th position among the 2004 Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, though it was not included in the 2010 update...
, as specified by the liner notes.