By BEN Reporter GREATER Manchester Police officers, support staff, their family and friends are putting their best foot forward by collecting a "mountain" of shoes.

Staff shoe collections were taking place around the force this week to raise money for the Victim Support Scheme.

Wearable shoes collected will be sent to Third World countries, eastern Europe and Bosnia, while the remainder will be recycled, the proceeds from which will go to Victim Support.

And the last addition to the pile will, quite fittingly, belong to "Cinderella".

Schoolgirl Liz Hibbert, 15, from Romiley, Cheshire, featured as Cinderella in the GMP Central Sports and Social Club production of the pantomime.

Complete in ball gown, she will be donating her glass slippers to the appeal on Monday at the Force's Central Stores and Workshops in Openshaw.

Her Prince Charming will be her father - Inspector Jim Hibbert from the Force's Motorcycle Unit.

Money raised will be used to fund training of volunteers at Victim Support, particularly in specialist areas such as counselling victims after rape, murder or other serious crimes.

The cash will also help with the provision of premises, service expansion and literature.

The shoes will be collected by waste merchants W H Tracey from Bury, who will make a donation based on the weight of the shoes and arrange overseas shipments.

Apart from the GMP collection, members of the public are being invited to take their old shoes to Victim Support offices around the area.

Chief Inspector Margaret Parker, GMP's Victim Support liaison officer, said: "We work very closely with Victim Support and are pleased to be able to help them in their fundraising endeavours.

"Financial restrictions dictate the number of referrals they are able to handle and, by supporting them in this campaign, we are helping them to deliver a better service to the people of Greater Manchester."

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