Walking Dead Gardens, Pick-a-dealer Gardens, Zombie Square, 'the biggest sh**hole in Britain' - M.E.N readers haven't minced their words this weekend in response to our special report on Piccadilly Gardens . Senior reporter James Holt spent two days in the Garden s last week, speaking to passers-by about their thoughts on the place, and doing a walk-around with Greater Manchester Police officers to see how they operate in the area. In no time at all James witnessed a police chase, with vans in blue lights abandoned by the bus stop as officers rugby-tackled and bundled someone into the back. Other delights awaited: an air ambulance landing with paramedics sprinting on foot to reports of a stabbing on nearby Oldham Street; a pair smoking cannabis openly; and a 'dishevelled' man urinating on a wall. It's no secret that this area of Manchester city centre has been plagued by problems for years: homelessness, graffiti, pick-pocketing, harassment, open drug and alcohol consumption, to name just a few. Now, our readers have weighed in with their experiences. Facebook user Louise Cliffe wrote: "The last time I was in the gardens with my children we saw open-air drug dealing, a guy offering £5 for a shot of something in a blue canister, someone taking pictures of kids, a crackhead out of his face... "...14-year-olds asking how to roll a spliff of cannabis, glass bottles being thrown by alcoholics, Eastern European pickpocketers, and someone urinating into a bottle in the old NatWest door way. "It's always had issues over the years, the antisocial behaviour that used to happen in the underground toilet being one, but the past 20 years it's gone to the dogs. I now refuse to go anywhere near Manchester." "Most Manchester residents consider it a no-go," wrote Tracey Russell on X (formerly known as Twitter ). "Years ago, before it was made into a concrete jungle, there were beautiful gardens. "People would sit and eat their lunch, and families let their children play in safety. It's a disgraceful place these days." "It needs a complete overhaul," wrote Blue Dave London. "It needs policing to the extent that no scrote will go near it. It's just an open air crack house at the moment." "Throw in a couple of lions, you've got the full amphitheatre experience", joked Project Peel. James' piece detailed how, following the success of Operation Vulcan, a 18-month long operation to ‘root out’ drug dealers and tackle crime in the area, a new dedicated police team now patrol the area day and night. As Superintendent Nicola Williams told the M.E.N , her team’s policing tactics rely on a mix of regular visible patrols, community meetings and briefings, and ‘targeted activity’ - such as weapon or drug sweeps. She said: “We have a dedicated team of eight officers, and we have tweaked the shift patterns to work later evenings, when the public were telling us they were witnessing anti-social behaviour, rough sleeping, drug dealing, drug use and that feeling of not being safe when walking through the area. "Police should be sweeping it every hour," wrote a user named Big Serge on X. "It's a dump and has been for the longest time now." On Facebook, Joanne Whitehead agreed that the problems plaguing it now weren't new. "It's always been dodgy - even back in the 80s," she wrote. X user Zack called the Gardens 'an embarrassment' to the city. "We don't see these issues in other cities like Abu Dhabi, Singapore or Tokyo," he claimed. "They actually have a deterrence policy that prevents issues that manifest in Manchester and the UK as a whole." Another Facebook user - who said he had been considering moving to Manchester a few years ago - said reading the piece had made him feel vindicated in his decision not to move here. "Yet another vindication for me," wrote John McGrath. "We moved from London a few years ago. Manchester & Liverpool were short listed. "Liverpool won on property prices, friendliness, cleanliness & how much the city has improved. Apart from Salford Quays with its over priced apartments, there's really not lush to make Manchester attractive." Many - including several people James spoke to for his piece - were nostalgic for the better days when the gardens were actually gardens. "I can't believe that I used to sit on Victoria's statue and eat my dinner and watch people go by and enjoy the lovely gardens," wrote Josephine Fitzpatrick on Facebook. "Manchester has gone to hell". "A once lovely space in the heart of town is now spice/stabbing central," wrote Paul Anthony Harris. "A massive shame on the powers that be." There wasn't much optimism in the comments for the gardens' future. "It needs clearing completely and then build on the sit," wrote Stephen Robinson on Facebook. "Clearly it is a failed project." "They should just build on it, as sad as that is," agreed Robert Driscoll. "Can't have nice places nowadays" A Manchester City Council spokesperson said: “We know how important Piccadilly Gardens is to Manchester. There have been ongoing improvements to Piccadilly Gardens, which are gradually beginning to make a difference to this busy public space, but we are under no illusion that challenges remain and there is still more to do. “We are listening to and acting upon public feedback - and Piccadilly Gardens is changing. In recent times we have demolished the free-standing part of the unpopular wall, which we owned. L&G, who own the pavilion structure, also removed further sections and took away the concrete roof linking the two sections of the pavilion. “Extensive police intervention through Operation Vulcan, supported by our community safety teams, and ongoing days of action have brought crime levels down while a series of events such as Easter and Christmas Markets have attracted thousands to enjoy the space. It’s also been busy during the recent sunny weather . "These improvements help us on our way but we want a revamped Piccadilly Gardens for people to spend time in and pass through which ultimately will make Manchester proud. We are striving behind the scenes to realise our ambitions for the future of Piccadilly Gardens - and deliver something truly transformational – but is a complex process which we are working on with partners, including TfGM. We are also striving to secure the necessary funding and wider investment to improve the area."