A GMP Bolton officer represented the borough on a trip to Downing Street after colleagues recognised him as 'a credit' to the organisation.

PC Craig McMorrow went to No 10 with Deputy Chief Constable Terry Woods to mark the recruitment of 20,000 police officers in England and Wales in the last four years.

PC McMorrow, of GMP Bolton, was one of more than 1,000 police officers to the force in Greater Manchester in this time taking its total to more than 8,000 police officers.

A veteran with eight years of experience in the British Army, he won GMP Student Officer of the Year in 2022, and colleagues recognised him as "a credit" to the organisation by nominating him to attend No 10 on their behalf.

The Bolton News: PC Craig McMorrow and DCC Terry Woods at No 10

PC McMorrow said: "It is a huge honour to be asked to represent GMP and I am grateful to my district for nominating me. I think they wanted to send someone with a good work ethic, which I have after my time in the forces.

"This good work ethic is shared by everyone at Bolton. Everyone I have been lucky enough to work with so far is so passionate about what they do, which results in lots of positive outcomes within our communities."

Superintendent Danny O’Neil, of GMP Bolton, added: "[PC McMorrow] goes above and beyond with victims of crime, often going the extra mile to deliver an excellent service. 

"He is a credit to GMP, he is a credit to Bolton and he is deserving of this recognition."

READ MORE: Bolton to see biggest change to police 'in a generation'.

The recruitment of 20,000 police officers in England and Wales in the last four years was a pledge made by the Conservative Party in the lead-up to the last election.

It was acclaimed as a success when the milestone was achieved but criticised by others as covering up the cracks created by cuts in the time of austerity after 2010.

Steve Hartshorn, chairman of the Police Federation, said: "The reality is considering population growth of more than four million since 2010, even with an 'uplift' of 20,000 officers, we will have fewer officers on the streets than we had a decade ago. The smokescreen does not stand up to scrutiny.

"It is time policing and the safety of the public are prioritised by this government in a meaningful way and a Royal Commission on policing is appointed to ensure the service has the ability to fulfil their remit and serve and protect the public."

This article was written by Jack Tooth. To contact him, email jack.tooth@newsquest.co.uk or follow @JTRTooth on Twitter.