CELLS at Bolton's main police station are being brought back into use - after a four-year gap.

New chief constable Stephen Watson says he has fast-tracked the reopening of the Scholey Street custody suite.

Controversially the cells were closed at the end of July 2017, amid plans to transfer Bolton prisoners to no fewer than three separate locations, depending on where they were arrested.

People arrested in Horwich and Blackrod, Horwich North East, Westhoughton North and Westhoughton South were pencilled in for Wigan custody suite.

Bolton town centre, Heaton and Lostock, Farnworth, Kearsley, Little Lever, Harper Green and Hulton cases were earmarked for Swinton.

And Bury custody suite handled Smithills, Astley Bridge, Bromley Cross, Bradshaw, Crompton, Tonge and the Haulgh and Breightmet arrests.

Defence solicitors voiced their opposition to the move. The custody suite replaced the cells at the force's previous base in Howell Croft North.

But now the chief constable - as part of of his focus on making arrests, investigating crime and focusing on victims - has reversed the decision. He says this will ensure arrested people can face justice quicker.

Works will now be undertaken by the force to return the facility to full-time use by early 2022. Before then the custody suite will be used at peak times.

Mr Watson said: "This is an integral facility and its reopening forms part of a simplified approach to policing that people across Greater Manchester can expect to see more of. Quite simply, the changes we're making at pace across the force mean we will be catching more criminals and we need more space to lock them up.

"The reopening of Scholey Street's cells will provide time and efficiency savings by not having to transport prisoners to other boroughs."

An estimated 84 per cent of the 3,000 arrests in Bolton over the past year saw prisoners transported to other sites.

Chief Supt Stuart Ellison, divisional commander for Bolton, added: "The re-opening of Scholey Street will greatly benefit our borough by significantly reducing the need for those trips and returning those officers back onto our streets."