A 67-year-old man has been charged in connection with an alleged double stabbing following a random attack on a diner at a café in Bolton. CCTV footage from The Deli café on Tonge Moor Road captured the moment the assailant thrust a kitchen knife at the chest of an unsuspecting customer on Tuesday.
The victim immediately rose to his feet and retaliated, landing several punches on the bespectacled attacker, leaving him disoriented and staggering backwards. A staff member then intervened, snatching the weapon from the man's hand. The suspect was eventually apprehended after three police cars arrived at the scene around 10:30 am.
Stephen Nolan, who resides on the same road where the incident occurred, has been charged with grievous bodily harm and attempted section 18 assault. He has been remanded in custody and is scheduled to appear at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates' Court on Thursday. Fortunately, neither victim sustained life-threatening injuries.
Greater Manchester Police stated: 'Officers continue to appeal for information as they progress their investigation into the incident. This includes any CCTV, dashcam, or doorbell footage from around the time of the incident.'
Following the stabbing, The Deli café expressed gratitude to the customer involved, offering him free meals for life. A message from the café read: 'Dear customers, regarding the incident that took place this morning on Tonge Moor Rd; this incident has followed down and spilled into our premises. We would like to assure you all, our customers and staff are safe and helping GMP with their investigation. We would also like to thank our customer today who helped during the incident, keeping us safe. Of course he will receive free orders for life! Due to the disruption we have closed for the remainder of the day and will let you all know when we are back open for business. We wholeheartedly apologise for any inconvenience caused.'
The police presence drew the attention of residents and passers-by, with several individuals commenting on the incident. Residents told local paper The Bolton News that the area around Tonge Moor Road was becoming increasingly dangerous. One resident said: 'You're not safe in Tonge Moor at all. There's all these things, people with knives, and you're looking round when you walk. It's scary.' Another added: 'My daughter goes to school here; there can be a lot of anti-social behaviour, and people with balaclavas, but they have never bothered me. This side of Tonge Moor is mainly locals.'
