AS EMERGENCY services cope with the pressure of coronavirus, a police inspector called for people to be more understanding when it comes to responses to crimes.

Posting on the Greater Manchester Police Swinton and Little Hulton page, Inspector Allen said: "Just a polite request, please don't comment on posts suggesting the solution to current issues is more Police, like I have a whole other team of officers that I keep locked in a station because I'm saving them for a rainy day.

"I do the best I can with what I have, but the effects austerity had on the Police Service are still very real for us.

"We have been promised 20,000 officers nationally and GMP are currently having a huge recruitment drive, but these officers will not be substantive in rank for two years, and it requires a lot of training and investment which slows us down.

"They're also not eligible to apply to be a neighbourhood officer until they are substantive, so not for a long time.

"Please be assured I do the best I can with what I have, and my teams work extremely hard in their neighbourhoods, but 'more police' is not the wonderful solution that it sounds."