MPs, councillors and residents have come together to raise concerns over crime and ask what is being done.

In October last year, residents in Astley Bridge met with councillors and police at a public meeting to ask what is being done following a spate of burglaries and about a lack of police resource in the area.

Since then more and more areas in and around Bolton have had the same concerns and have met with councillors and police to get answers and reassurance.

Meetings have now been held in Ladybridge, Edgworth, Westhoughton, Horwich and residents living on the Beaumont Chase Estate, off Wigan Road, have also met with councillors.

Local MPs have become heavily involved in the process and Yasmin Qureshi, MP for Bolton South East wrote to the home secretary, Amber Rudd, with her concerns.

MP for Bolton West, Chris Green, met with the home secretary personally to raise residents' concerns and pledged to continue pressuring the government to make sure policing is one of their focuses over the next four years.

People have been concerned over a perceived lack of police in their area and how officers aren't seen to be attending incidents.

Greater Manchester Police now has 2,000 less officers than it did in 2010 and have been spread thin on the ground across the region.

The Home Office announced last year that the money police forces receive from central government in 2018/19 will be the same as 2017/18.

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said that due to inflation and other financial pressures this means there will be real term cuts to policing.

Mr Burnham announced last month he will be increasing the separate policing part of the council tax by an average of £9.33 and said this will allow police to recruit 50 new officers in Greater Manchester and improve the 101 service.

Responding to the concerns over crime and policing levels, a Home Office spokesman said: “We know the nature of crime is changing, and we’ve spoken to every police force in the country to understand the demands they are facing.

“We have set out a comprehensive settlement to strengthen local and national policing, which will mean police funding will increase by up to £450 million next year. Greater Manchester Police can increase funding next year by around £10.4million and also had reserves of over £67m in March 2017. The Mayor of Greater Manchester is accountable to the public for Greater Manchester Police performance and is empowered to raise local precept to increase funding.”

People in areas including Westhoughton and Ladybridge have pledged to work together and with police to improve safety.