ATHERTON-born Catherine Hankinson has been promoted to Chief Superintendent of Greater Manchester Police’s Oldham division.

The 39-year-old attended St Phillip’s CE Primary School in Atherton, the town where her parents Barrie and Yvonne Sloan still live and where she grew up with her brother Ian.

She went on to Canon Slade School, Bolton and studied criminology at Hull University.

She has been in Greater Manchester Police for 17 years starting off at Leigh then was posted to Wigan, Moss Side, Openshaw and Oldham.

She succeeds Chief Supt Tim Forber, who said: “Cath is a superb leader, very capable of doing the job. I wish her all the best.”