Greater Manchester Police's first part-time officers sworn in

The new GMP recruits work 20 hours per week and have the same responsibility as other officers

Greater Manchester Police's first part-time officers have been sworn in as part of the force's drive to open up policing as a career to more people.

The 24 women and four men have the same responsibility as other officers during their 20-hour weeks.

Det Sgt Anna Rickards said the pandemic had seen a "seismic change" to working.

New recruit PC Michelle Blake said as a mother with a sports therapy business, the part-time option was "an amazing opportunity I couldn't pass on".

A spokesman said the force was aiming to "make policing open to more applicants by offering this flexible alternative to full-time working".

"Expanding the offer enables male and female applicants who, for work, caring or personal preference, would prefer to be a part-time officer, rather than full-time," he said.

'Wider demographic'

He said the new officers had been "recruited on a job-share basis, performing exactly the same role as other police officers and working the same shift pattern, including early, afternoons and nights".

He added that Det Sgt Rickards had been the "driving force behind making this possible" and had worked with her former force, the Met Police "to make this a reality".

The Met became the first force to offer the choice between full-time or part-time working hours in 2019.

Det Sgt Rickards said the pandemic had "brought about a seismic change to culture in respect of flexible working options".

She added that as officers did not work regular daily hours, it was "rather fitting to combine cultural change with an exciting new entrants route".

PC Blake said she had "always wanted to be able to help the local community" but had not been able to join the force full-time as she was "a mother of three children, a wife and a sports therapist who owns her own business".

However, she said working part-time "alongside my current job gives me more security and also job satisfaction".

"Knowing I can run my own business and join GMP is an amazing opportunity I couldn't pass on."

Assistant Chief Constable Chris Sykes said the "exciting step forward" was a "fantastic opportunity" for people who had not been able to "fulfil their dream of becoming a police officer because the role didn't offer enough flexibility".

He added that it would allow the force to "reach out to a wider demographic" and become "much more reflective of the diverse communities we serve".

Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to [e-mail]