Community meets with the specials

Mobile Police Station at Tesco, Oldham. Special Sergeant Benjamin Howarth talks to locals Nick Dobbs and Jean Dobbs

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POLICE specials in Oldham were out and about at the weekend, hosting a number of community events.

The Special Constabulary consists of volunteer officers with full police powers who give their own time to assist with the policing of Greater Manchester.

In 2015, Oldham special constables volunteered 12,400 hours, made 108 arrests, 129 stop searches, reported 113 crimes and performed 546 licensing checks.

As part of National Volunteers' Week, National Specials Weekend is hosted to showcase the work special constables do in their local communities with residents, local businesses and partner agencies.

The Oldham division of Greater Manchester Police currently has 50 operational special constables with more officers currently in training to join the team.

This weekend, officers worked alongside partner agencies in a number of initiatives led by special inspector Matt Saville and special sergeants Jared Simpson, Ben Howarth and Alan Gibson.

On Friday night special constables and neighbourhood police officers worked alongside UK Border Agency, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, Department for Work and Pensions and Oldham Council in targeting issues affecting the night-time economy in Shaw and Oldham town centre.

During visits to takeaways and licensed premises, officers and partners were able to identify a number of issues from licensing breaches to immigration offences.

On Saturday, officers worked in partnership with RSPB Dovestone.

This was part of a new summer-long initiative where officers actively patrol Dovestone following reports of anti-social behaviour. Officers were then on hand to assist the Canal and River Trust volunteers in Uppermill that work in their own time to help maintain the village.

Officers helped the group in the rebuilding of a canal structure, giving them the opportunity to support another volunteer network, learn new skills and interact with the public about issues concerning them whilst explaining the work that was being carried out.

A community engagement day at Tesco, Featherstall Road, was also held where officers spoke with members of the public about issues affecting them and youngsters were able to engage with officers by trying on uniform and and looking around vehicles.

To round the weekend off, officers attended a Greater Manchester Police Citizens in Policing award ceremony where a team of officers were awarded for the assistance they gave to the Oldham Children's Charity whose chalets were affected by the December floods.

Special inspector Saville and special sergeant Simpson were also recipients of the GMP Team of Year award for their contribution to the policing of the night-time economy and their partnership work.