New faces join the force

GMP Recruits at Harrop Ford Attestation

OLDHAM's latest GMP recruits were officially welcomed into the force at an attestation ceremony.

The ceremony saw 100 officers ­- nine of whom will be based in Oldham ­- attested at Harrop Fold School, the first time the event has been held at a community venue.

Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Lloyd and Magistrates Peter Rogerson and Zahid Maqbool attended the legally binding ceremony.

During the ceremony the recruits - the first to join GMP in five years - made an oath to uphold the office of constable with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality.

They are the first wave of admissions, with GMP expected to take on 500 across the year.

Chief Constable Hopkins said: "The primary role of each officer is to help and serve the public, therefore it is only right that we hold this attestation at the heart of the community, where it should be.

"I would like to thank Harrop Fold School for allowing us to hold our ceremony here."

He added: "Policing is now more challenging and complex than ever before, with significantly more scrutiny now being placed on officers, which is rightly to be expected.

"Due to the rigorous selection process and training involved, plus the emphasis we place on supporting each other at GMP, I have no doubts that these officers will meet any challenges that lie ahead.

He said: "I'm sure at the end of their careers they can proudly say that they left their communities in a better place than when they started."