Police have opened a new tactical aid unit (TAU) near Bolton which they say will allow them to respond to crimes in the town quicker.

The new base was opened in Leigh by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) Chief Constable Stephen Watson.

It has been placed there to provide a better service to the north and west of the area served by the force.

Police say it will increase visibility and response times to crime and anti-social behaviour CC Watson attended the opening with senior GMP and tactical aid unit officers as well as MPs James Grundy and Yvonne Fovargue.

He said: “Being able to respond to incidents and emergencies as effectively as we can is at the very heart of GMP.

“Having the TAU based in the north of the force area means we can better serve our communities and keep people safe.

“Operations and critical incidents are the bread and butter of the TAU.

"They are the team with the specialist skills and knowledge that can support our people and keep them safe.

“This move also shows the commitment we have to ensuring GMP is a force that is attractive to officers from other areas who may be looking for a move.

"It is my absolute pleasure to open this base in Leigh which will allow us more effectively to fight, prevent, and reduce crime.”

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The TAU carries out disruption and enforcement operations and targets organised and high-impact crime.

Chief Superintendent Mark Dexter, GMP’s head of specialist operations, previously explained how it would help the centre of Bolton.

He said: “Having a TAU base in Leigh will mean we can better serve the surrounding communities and support the night-time economy in Wigan and Bolton town centres.

“It means we can get to incidents quicker in parts of the north and west of the force area and allows better planning and sharing of resources across the rest of Greater Manchester.

“We also hope having TAU based in Leigh will encourage people who struggle to commute to the centre of Manchester to apply to work for GMP.

“The work is both rewarding and challenging, which provides TAU officers with an interesting and varied career with opportunities to build on current experience and skills and develop beyond the traditional patrol and enforcement.”