This festive season, the quiet town of Rochdale is grappling with a disturbing resurgence. Notorious criminal Daniel Wild, whose name once synonymous with chaos on Kirkholt Estate in the mid-2000s, has resurfaced, sparking fear and outrage. His latest transgression? Targeting mixed-heritage individuals in the community with derogatory messages, using the slur, “half-caste”— a term steeped in colonial-era racism. For Rochdale, a town marked by cultural diversity, this has reignited debates about hate, identity, and the far-reaching scars of a criminal past. A Reckoning with the Past Daniel Wild’s infamy began two decades ago. As a violent gang leader with roots in the Romani community, he orchestrated a wave of vandalism and intimidation across Kirkholt Estate, a deprived area already strained by social unrest. Neighbours recall widespread smashed fences, gang attacks, and a pervasive sense of fear. Wild’s criminal yob groupings thrived on division, exploiting tensions around living ...