A POLICE fund set up with cash obtained from criminals is to be used to help create a new food bank.

Farnworth and Kearsley Food Bank was one of 26 community groups invited to bid for some of the £50,000 collected from drug dealers, burglars and organised crime gangs through the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA).

And thanks to the innovative new scheme, the food bank successfully bid for £2,000 — and will use the money to open a third foodbank location in Highfield.

The police funding, presented at a ceremony at Scholey Street Police Station yesterday, will help pay for equipment for the new facility and help needy families to obtain food.

Police were inundated with more than 100 applications for the money after several promotional events late last year.

Offering the money out to tender represented a major change in the way police distribute POCA money.

Previously the majority of the cash given back to police in Bolton was used to boost police resources and help increase crime prevention.

The new approach was a brainchild of Superintendent Andrea Jones and Det Chf Insp Rick Jackson.

Supt Jones said: "When I came to Bolton I wanted to do something different.

"Historically in Bolton we have said 'we know what that money should be spent on'. We thought we knew but we did not.

"It was a bit of a risk as you wonder whether there is going to be an interest. The response we got was absolutely phenomenal.

"The groups that applied were wide-ranging and it was heart-warming to read about all the good work going on in the community.

"It was really good for us and we now understand what people want and what great people there are living in Bolton.

"It has been fabulous and hopefully we can come back next year with more than £50,000 and see what people want to do with it."

Farnworth and Kearsley Food Bank currently operates in two locations from Tuesday to Friday between 12pm and 2pm, with the expansion set to see the third location used on Mondays

Alex Malone, project manager, said: "We are trying to set up a new centre so that we are available to more people in Farnworth.

"Obviously this has financial implications but we would like to have a location over Highfield way as we know of a lot of people there who need to use our services.

"We are feeding so many people, 480 just in December. This is a really good way of making funding available.

"It is really hard at the moment as lots of funding streams are being pulled. A bit extra really helps."

Bolton Community Kitchen were also given £2,500, which they say will enable them to reach more homeless people either through food parcels or donating clothing.

Among the groups to receive grants were Fort Alice and Fort Alice - Breaking Free, who were given £2,000.

Raise the Youth in Great Lever and the Bradshaw Meadows Homewatch Scheme were given £1,500, while Fusion Internet Cafe received £1,700.

The Flower Estate Residents' Association were given £1,000, money which will be used to pay for children aged eight to 16 to use Harper Green Leisure Centre for free.

Det Chf Insp Jackson said: "It was particularly difficult to choose which groups to give funding to.

"We were inundated with in excess of 100 applications.

"We tried to spread the money far and wide in a way that would give the most back to the community.

"In particular, we looked favourably on projects that would help crime prevention, especially through youth engagement."

Greater Manchester Police seized back £8 million through the Proceeds of Crime Act last year, hugely exceeding its £2.5 million target.

The Bolton division recovered £681,041 in 2013-14, and had already seized £300,000 between April and October last year.