Police stopped a car they said was acting suspiciously to find a suspected 'wanted man'.

Neighbourhood officers from GMP Bolton North say they came across the vehicle on Stone Street in Tonge Moor last night.

And police add that the driver gave his name as John Smith, which after carrying out checks they said was not his real name.

The vehicle also said to be driven on false number plates.

They posted a picture of the car being put on a low loader.

A spokesman for the force said: "PC Silcock and PC Daly came across this vehicle acting suspiciously on Stone Street, Tonge Moor this evening.

"Checks revealed that it was on false plates and 'John Smith' in the drivers seat wasn't actually called John Smith and was wanted for failing to appear at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates court."

The spokesman described the stop has part of the police's proactive and neighbourhood policing strategy.

Under a shake-up of policing, officers are going back to basics.

The biggest shake-up in policing will see an increase in the number of officers across Bolton's division.

As part of that, police in Bolton took part in a week of action to tackle key issues across the district, including burglary, anti-social behaviour (ASB), drug dealing and speeding.

These have been identified through intelligence, recent patrols and incidents, as well as concerns raised by our local residents.

Superintendent Stephanie Parker previously said about the changes: “This is an extremely welcome change and will help ensure our officers on the ground are able to respond to incidents in a more timely, effective manner.

“Neighbourhood policing is pivotal to keeping our communities and residents safe, and we are sending out a clear message that Bolton is not the place for criminals to operate."