TWO SECONDARY schools in south Manchester were wrong to close on
the day of the funeral of gangster Desmond Noonan, education chiefs
have ruled.
The heads of Chorlton High School and St Thomas Aquinas RC High
School in Chorlton decided to close on the day of the funeral at
nearby Southern Cemetery, after advice from police.
But the move angered some parents and was slammed as a "bad
decision" by council leader Cllr Richard Leese - prompting an
investigation by council officials.
That investigation has concluded that the closure of the schools
was unnecessary and was the result of "poor communications".
Now the council is to draw up new guidelines for such
circumstances.
Cllr Jeff Smith, executive member for education, said: "We asked
the chief executive to investigate urgently the closure of these
schools. He has met the schools and the police and the
investigation is now complete.
"Although advice was given to schools with the best of intentions,
we are satisfied it was not necessary to close the schools. Poor
communications led to youngsters being deprived of a day's
education.
"It's a major decision to close a school for a day and we need a
full review of how those decisions are made. It should be in only
very exceptional circumstances that a school should close."
The heads say they took the decision to close last Friday after
being told by the police that between 5,000 and 11,000 mourners
were expected to converge on the area for the funeral - although
the actual number turned out to be closer to 300.
Peter Kennedy, headteacher at the 1,400-pupil Chorlton High School,
said: "I am pleased that it has now been acknowledged that police
advice was, indeed, given to the schools, who also acted with the
best of intentions and were not prepared to put the safety of their
students and staff at risk in the light of that advice."
"I agree completely with the statement that `poor communications'
were the root cause of this problem, placing the schools in an
extremely difficult position. I hope that the lessons learned from
this unfortunate episode will prevent such a situation from
recurring in the future."
The police - who said at the time they "did not believe it was
necessary" to close the schools - have confirmed that a number of
discussions took place between the schools and police officers
during the day before the funeral. But they say they believe the
content of those discussions may have been "misinterpreted".
Chief Supt Alan Cooper, divisional commander for the south
Manchester division, said: "We contacted four schools and one
college within the Chorlton area to advise them of the event.
"During the afternoon period one of those schools re-contacted us
requesting further details. They also requested an officer make
contact with one of the other schools previously spoken to that
morning.
"The schools sought clarification of the finer details and timings
of the procession, which were provided.
"It is possible some of the content of those discussions was
misinterpreted."
Headteacher Mr Kennedy admitted the decision to close sparked a
mixed reaction from parents - some complained and others thanked
the school for considering the pupils' safety.
Before the council's investigation was held, John O'Callaghan,
headteacher at St Thomas Aquinas, said: "It's very regrettable and
unfortunate that we have to close the school on any occasion. But
we made the decision based on the advice given by the police in the
best interests of everybody in the school and the local
community."
Hundreds of people lined the street for the funeral of Noonan, one
of Manchester's most notorious gangsters. A Requiem Mass was held
at St Aidan's Catholic Church in Northern Moor and a procession,
led by his brother Domenyk, travelled on to Southern Cemetery in
Chorlton.
Noonan, 45, died after being stabbed in March.
The funeral was filmed for Channel 5 by documentary maker Donal
McIntyre, whose film on the Noonans was shown four days after he
died.
Riazat Butt joined hundreds of mourners as Desmond Noonan's funeral cortege wended its way through south Manchester
SHE stood on Wythenshawe Road, dabbing her eyes with a scrunched
up paper tissue. With each wipe, the sobs became louder and the
shaking more pronounced. "God bless you Dessy," she cries. "You
were a lovely man."
The horse-drawn carriage rolls by and, with it, Desmond Noonan's
funeral procession. "Hold your heads high," urges the woman. "You
have nothing to be ashamed of."
Last Friday, a community mourned the passing of Dessy Noonan.
"I got very upset when he was described as a gangster," says the
woman standing on the roadside. "I used to see him in the shops. My
son, who's the same age as Dessy, burst into tears when he heard. I
was devastated too."
Not everyone shares her sentiments. Not many of the parents who
kept their children at home that day, nor the motorists who spent
most of the sunny Friday afternoon sitting in traffic wondering why
the fixer of a crime family should inspire mile-long tailbacks and
the presence of Greater Manchester Police.
Shaven-headed children swarm outside the church. They wear black or
fluorescent jackets with "We Serve to Protect" - the motto of the
family's security firm - emblazoned on them. They cadge cigarettes
off their mates or their mums.
Mourners spill out of the church onto the streets. Women have
poured themselves into tight-fitting trouser suits. Their big
sunglasses twinkle with interlocked Cs or D&G. Everyone is
decked out in chunky gold jewellery.
In the shade, investigative reporter Donal McIntyre is giving
back-to-back interviews to TV reporters. He is much shorter in real
life. His bouncers hover out of shot.
It was McIntyre's documentary that introduced the crimes and
misdemeanours of the Noonan family to the rest of the UK. Dessy's
death, four days before the programme was aired on national
television, cranked up the excitement and scandal surrounding the
documentary.
The Noonan family had given permission to film the day's
proceedings so they have a steadicam and a boom, which has been
positioned outside the church.
Dessy's funeral took place a little more than a month after he was
stabbed to death on the Merseybank Estate in Chorlton. A man has
been charged with his murder.
The cortege comprises three hearses, a horse-drawn carriage, 16
pipers, hundreds of friends and relatives and a dozen black
Daimlers. Floral tributes in red and white say "Uncle", "Our Kid"
and "Dez". Shortly after midday, this elaborate tribute inches away
from St Aidan's Church towards Southern Cemetery.
GMP warned motorists of congestion along the route and, sure
enough, cars snake back the entire length of Manchester's busiest
roads.
There are plenty of bemused people who don't know what's going
on.
One mourner thanks drivers for their patience. Some motorists cross
themselves or give the thumbs up to people they recognise.
Onlookers emerge from their homes and businesses to see what sort
of man can be worthy of such a send-off.
"Matt Busby never got this, did he?" someone quips.
His friend replies: "People who didn't know Dessy want to be a part
of today. It's about saying you were there. It's like the Pope's
funeral. Why do you think so many people wanted to go to
Rome?"
However amid the banter there is reflection and crying.
"I miss him," sniffs one woman. "I miss him so much. He was so kind
to my kids. If I ever needed anything he'd come straight round.
Don't cry love," she says, stroking her daughter's head. "He's in
peace now."
For three hours and six miles the funeral procession crosses over
the Princess Parkway and fills two lanes while cars, lorries and
buses squeeze past in the third lane.
On arrival at the Merseybank Estate the procession halts and the
pipers play Amazing Grace. It moves off once more towards the
cemetery.
A red-haired lady breaks off from the procession to catch the
number 47 bus to the city centre. When she gets off at Oxford Road
the driver asks if she knows why the traffic's been backed up all
day.
"It was someone's funeral," she says, then adds with pride and
sadness in her voice, "it was Dessy Noonan's funeral."
The driver shrugs his shoulders. "Never heard of him."