Key Points
- Greater Manchester Police are looking for Andrew McHale, age 30, who is wanted for being recalled back to prison.
- McHale is associated with Bury, Whitefield, Wigan, and Leigh in Greater Manchester.
- On 19 August 2026, Greater Manchester Police issued a Facebook request to the public for assistance in locating him.
- The police have warned that anyone providing assistance to a wanted person could be arrested and charged for it.
- It is advised that members of the public should not try to contact him and should call 999 or 0800 555 111 to the Crimestoppers instead.
Bury Police (Manchester Mirror) – Greater uk/police/">Manchester Police need help locating 30-year-old Andrew McHale, who was born on 20 March 1996 and is wanted on recall to prison. In a post on Facebook, GMP said: “WANTED | Can you help us locate Andrew McHale (20/03/1996), who is wanted on recall to prison?” The force added that he has links to the Bury, Whitefield, Wigan and Leigh areas of Greater Manchester.
As reported by staff at the Bury Times, GMP are searching for a man wanted on recall to prison and want to speak to anyone who might know his whereabouts. The Wigan Today also carried the appeal, noting that the search for a crook wanted on prison recall has come to the borough, with McHale identified as having links to Wigan and Leigh.
How can the public help police find Andrew McHale?
Police have asked members of the public not to approach McHale but to report any information immediately. A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: “Anybody found harbouring any wanted person or helping them to evade justice will be arrested themselves and face possible court action and a criminal record.”
In the event of any sightings, people are advised to ring 999, while anyone with information can leave a message on police social media pages or call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. The appeal was circulated across GMP’s local division pages, including GMP Bury and GMP Wigan and Leigh, which both posted the same request for help locating McHale.
What does ‘recall to prison’ mean in this case?
A recall to prison typically occurs when someone released from prison on licence – commonly known as parole – is ordered to return to custody, usually because they have breached the terms of their release. According to reporting on a separate GMP case in Salford, a recall can be issued in connection with “other matters” when a person fails to comply with licence conditions such as attending probation appointments or adhering to specific restrictions.
The Guardian has noted that licence recalls in England and Wales rose to 51,419 in the year ending March 2026, up from 40,259 the previous year, highlighting the scale of the issue nationally. While the specific reasons for McHale’s recall have not been disclosed by GMP, the force’s wording indicates he is subject to an active warrant for return to custody.
Recent GMP operations targeting wanted individuals
The McHale appeal comes amid a busy period for Greater Manchester Police, which has described August as one of its most demanding months, with heatwaves adding pressure on officers and the criminal justice system. In a separate operation in Salford earlier this month, GMP ended a two-day rooftop standoff to arrest a 37-year-old man who was also wanted on recall to prison by another force.
That man was arrested on suspicion of public nuisance, criminal damage, burglary, public order offences and assaulting two police officers, both of whom suffered minor injuries during the incident. GMP said the arrest attempt had been tasked by another force for the man, who was wanted on recall to prison “for other matters”.
In Bolton, GMP has also published a “names and faces” list of most wanted people, including several individuals wanted on recall to prison, alongside warnings that anyone assisting them could face arrest. The force has repeatedly stressed that wanted people are not to be approached and that all information should be passed to officers via 999 or Crimestoppers.
Background to the development
The public appeal for Andrew McHale forms part of a wider pattern of GMP operations targeting individuals wanted on recall to prison across Greater Manchester, with local forces in Bury, Wigan, Leigh and surrounding towns issuing simultaneous alerts. The use of social media, particularly Facebook posts from divisional pages such as GMP Bury and GMP Wigan and Leigh, reflects a strategy of leveraging local community networks to trace individuals with known area links.
Nationally, the rise in licence recalls has placed additional strain on police and probation services, with the increase from 40,259 to 51,419 recalls in a year underscoring the growing challenge of monitoring released prisoners. The McHale case follows other high-profile GMP operations in August 2026, including the Salford rooftop arrest and ongoing most-wanted lists in Bolton, which together illustrate the force’s focus on reducing the number of individuals at large while subject to recall warrants.
Prediction: how this development could affect local communities and GMP
If the appeal for Andrew McHale leads to his swift location and return to custody, it could reinforce public confidence in GMP’s ability to manage recall cases and deter others from breaching licence conditions in the Bury, Whitefield, Wigan and Leigh areas. Conversely, if he remains at large for an extended period, local residents may experience heightened anxiety, particularly in neighbourhoods where he is known to have links, and pressure on GMP resources could increase as officers continue targeted enquiries.
For GMP, successful resolution of the McHale search would support broader efforts to reduce the backlog of recall cases and demonstrate the effectiveness of public appeals via social media and local media partners such as the Bury Times and Wigan Today. For the wider audience of people on licence in Greater Manchester, the publicity surrounding the case may act as a reminder of the consequences of breaching release conditions, potentially influencing compliance with probation requirements and reducing future recalls.
