Key Points
- Christopher Maxwell, aged 38, from Manor Road, Sale, is charged with the possession of a firearm, ammunition and cocaine as a result of a police raid on a former nursery in Irlam, Salford.
- According to Greater Manchester Police, a firearm and a “substantial amount” of ammunition were recovered by police from the former Mini Fingers Day Nursery on Wednesday, 7 October.
- Maxwell appeared before Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, 10 October, and was remanded into custody.
- A second man, aged in his 50s, who was arrested in connection with the raid, has since been bailed pending further enquiries.
- The nursery had already been shut down after a prohibition notice issued by the council due to the presence of vermin.
- The council stated it was providing assistance to the families in finding alternatives for child care and transferring nursery hours which are eligible for free.
- The police have made no link between the weapon and any of the nursery employees or management.
UK (Liverpool standard) October 10, 2026 – The Salford nursery gun case centres on a police raid at the former Mini Fingers Day Nursery in Irlam, where officers found a firearm and ammunition after the site had closed following a rat infestation. As reported by the Liverpool Echo, Christopher Maxwell, 38, of Manor Road, Sale, was charged with possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition and possession of cocaine. He appeared at Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court on Saturday and was remanded in custody.
What happened at the former nursery?
Greater Manchester Police officers searched the former Mini Fingers Day Nursery on Liverpool Road in Irlam on Wednesday evening, 7 October. ITV News Granada reported that the search followed information received by police and that officers executed a warrant at the building.
A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said:
“After gaining entry, a search took place which has seen us recover a firearm and a substantial quantity of ammunition.”
The force has not publicly specified the weapon’s type or provided a precise count of the ammunition in the reports reviewed for this account.
The discovery led to the arrest of two men, one in his 30s and one in his 50s. Initial reporting said both had been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to supply Class A and Class B drugs, specifically cocaine and cannabis.
The investigation’s status later changed. By 10 October, the Liverpool Echo reported that Maxwell had been charged with firearm, ammunition and cocaine-possession offences. A second man in his 50s had been bailed while further enquiries continued. The reports do not state that the second man has been charged.
Maxwell’s court appearance and remand were also reported by the Liverpool Echo. The charges are allegations, and the reports available do not provide a plea or a later court timetable.
Why had the nursery closed?
The police investigation began after the nursery had already been shut. Salford Council’s environmental health department issued a prohibition order on Friday, 2 October, after inspectors discovered vermin at the Liverpool Road premises, according to the Liverpool Echo, BBC News and ITV News Granada.
BBC News reported that the rats were believed to have entered through a collapsed drain beneath the baby room. In an email to parents after the inspection, the nursery manager said the rats had “managed to burrow their way into the main building”.
Parents were told on Monday, 5 October, that the nursery would close permanently. The Liverpool Echo reported that the email attributed the decision to “the recent events and the business struggling”, saying the owner did not see a way forward without the business being “extremely out of pocket”. ITV News Granada also reported that the message referred to the collapsed drain and the vermin entering the building.
Salford Council said environmental health and children’s services officers took “proactive and decisive action” by issuing the prohibition order after being alerted to an environmental issue. The council’s statement, reported by ITV News Granada, also acknowledged that the closure would be stressful for parents and carers.
The BBC reported that Mini Fingers had surrendered its Ofsted registration earlier in the week, according to Salford Council. The nursery’s representative said the matter was subject to a police investigation and that the organisation could not comment further.
What have parents and the council said?
The closure and the subsequent police discovery unsettled parents who had used the nursery. BBC News reported that one parent, speaking anonymously, said she had initially understood the closure email to describe a financial problem, before learning more about the events at the site.
Chloe Malpus, whose two-year-old son had attended the nursery, told the BBC she felt guilty about entrusting her child to the setting and said the events had destroyed her trust in nurseries. Another parent, identified by the BBC as Sophie, said she was “appalled and heartbroken” and questioned whether her son had been safe.
A parent who spoke anonymously to the BBC’s Local Democracy Reporting Service said she had paid in advance shortly before the nursery closed and had been unable to obtain a refund despite asking several times. She said she needed the money to pay for a new childcare placement.
The council said it was working with families to find replacement childcare in the community. Its support included helping parents transfer free nursery hours to new settings, the BBC and ITV News Granada reported.
Police have not indicated that the firearm found in the building was connected to nursery staff or management. The reported reason for the nursery’s closure was the vermin discovered by council inspectors; the police search took place separately after officers received information.
Background: Mini Fingers closure
Mini Fingers Day Nursery was located on Liverpool Road in Irlam, within Salford. The council’s prohibition order, issued on 2 October, followed an environmental health inspection that found vermin. The nursery then told parents on 5 October that it would not reopen, citing the recent events and financial difficulties.
Two days after the closure announcement, police searched the premises and recovered a firearm and ammunition. The following Saturday, Maxwell was charged and remanded in custody, while the second arrested man was bailed pending further enquiries. These are distinct developments: the council’s action concerned the building’s environmental condition, while the police investigation concerned the items found during the later search.
Prediction: What could happen next for families?
The immediate effect for families is likely to remain practical: securing replacement childcare, arranging payment and confirming that eligible free hours can be used at another setting. Salford Council has said it is helping affected families with alternative provision and the transfer of free nursery hours.
For parents who paid fees in advance, the reported difficulty obtaining refunds may leave some facing additional costs while arranging a new placement. The available reports do not establish whether families will recover those payments or when any resolution might occur.
The criminal investigation may also continue as police pursue enquiries into the firearm, ammunition and suspected drug-supply activity. Maxwell has been charged with specified offences, but the sources reviewed do not report a finding of guilt. The other arrested man has been bailed while enquiries continue; no further outcome is confirmed in the reports available as of 10 October 2026.
