STUDENTS hoping to be the next officers to patrol the streets of Bolton gave a helping hand at a homeless charity.

Eight new student officers started training to become police officers in Bolton last month and have been spending time in the community, visiting faith groups, domestic abuse support groups and taking part in volunteering.

For the first two weeks the students were confined to the classroom but last week they got the chance to get out in to Bolton and learn more about the area and its issues.

As part of their induction in to the community where they will be based, the officers spent some time volunteering with Urban Outreach, learning about how police work with the charity to help people.

Urban Outreach works with vulnerable groups, including the homeless and often liaises with the police.

The trainee officers helped with sorting out the free school meal bags and helping to sort out some of the items for the food bank.

GMP’s Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, said: “The student officers spend a week in the community where they are going to work. The ones that you see here today are going to come to Bolton.

“We’re here at Urban Outreach to see the fantastic work that goes on here supporting people who are vulnerable in Bolton. For us it’s really important. We’re talking about some of the most vulnerable people. Our whole policing philosophy is about neighbourhood policing, it’s about working with local people so that we can solve a problem.”

Across Greater Manchester, 85 new student officers recently started their training and have been spending time in their communities.

One of the officers training for the Bolton community is 26-year-old Hayley Vickers from Horwich.

She said: “This is our third week and we’ve been out in the community.

“I’ve worked in a law firm for five years and policing has always been something that has been in the back of my mind.

“I’ve joined the police because I want to help people, I’m not really suited to a desk job.”

This is just the start of the officers training, with a two-year probation period, including classroom-based learning and a year of active patrol where the officers have the same role as that of a regular officer, including the power of arrest.

As well as going out to visit their new communities, the officers have to complete a 1,000-word assignment about where they will be based. For this project the officers will need to identify a community issue or problem and highlight what work is being done to address it. In the past year, Greater Manchester Police has recruited more than 500 student officers as it looks to fill gaps left by people leaving the force.