A NEW base for police in the heart of Bolton town centre is expected to put officers on the beat for an extra hour a day.

Officers previously had to travel to and from the headquarters in Scholey Street, Burnden, several times a day.

But now they have a new drop-in base at Bolton bus station, in Moor Lane, so they can respond to incidents faster and waste less time travelling.

The new base was opened for the first time yesterday.

Insp Phil Spurgeon, who covers the town centre, said: “This is all about being in the heart of the community and this room allows officers to spend more time out in town.

“They can respond to incidents quicker, and will provide reassurance for people using the bus station and those in the town centre.

The base is designed to strengthen relationships between the public and the newly-formed Town Centre Neighbourhood Policing Team, which has a sergeant, eight police constables and five PCSOs, all of whom are dedicated to policing the town centre area.

Cllr Norman Critchley, Bolton spokesman for GMPTA, said: “Making public transport as safe as possible is a real priority for us and I’m sure the increased police presence at the bus station will act as a reassurance for passengers.”

Neighbourhood bases are being rolled out across the borough in a move to make the police more accessible to the areas they serve. Bolton Central Neighbourhood Policing Team can be contacted on 0161 856 5619 or emailed at bolton.neighbourhoodteam@gmp.police.uk