Greater Manchester Police spends £3.5m on fleet of cars

Police constables were involved in road testing the vehicles

Greater Manchester Police is pumping £3.5m into a new fleet of police cars and advanced driver training after feedback from frontline staff.

The force said it was buying 164 new beat cars after bosses asked officers what was impeding the force and many flagged up its marked vehicles.

The move is part of plans by Greater Manchester Police's new Chief Constable Stephen Watson to improve the force.

Deputy Chief Constable Terry Woods said the move would help "get the job done".

"This represents a quick and significant investment to give people the right tools," he added.

GMP said spending on crucial infrastructure was a key pledge of its new working model - the Plan on a Page - introduced by the chief constable, aimed at delivering a better service to the people of Greater Manchester.

It follows a series of controversies for the force, including a damning Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary report revealing it failed to record 80,000 crimes.

As part of the plan, it said senior officers prioritised talking to frontline staff about anything impeding the force reaching its potential.

GMP said an order for Toyota Corolla and Ford Focus vehicles had been placed after a £3.5 million funding bid was agreed by Bev Hughes, deputy mayor for policing and crime.

"This is a significant investment but one that is extremely important in making sure front line officers are well equipped to respond to incidents and emergencies effectively and safely," she said.

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