FOUR new police officers who will be patrolling the streets of Bury have been getting to know the community they will be serving.

The student officers started their training on October 9 as they begin a two-year probation period, which includes classroom-based learning and a year of active patrolling.

As part of their training, the group met various community groups across the town last week.

On Friday, the officers attended the Bury Armed Forces Veterans Breakfast at the Mosses Centre in Cecil Street, which is held every Friday from 9.30am-11am.

They were among 113 new Greater Manchester Police recruits sworn into their roles at a formal ceremony at Bolton Town Hall on Tuesday.

One of the officers who will be stationed in Bury is Rhian Toland, aged 24, from Bolton, who says she wants to follow in the footsteps of her father, who was a former police officer of 30 years himself.

She said: “I have wanted to do this for as long as I can remember.

“It’s great to mingle with the community and find out what is going on. It’s important to be able to engage with people as it helps to build trust.”

Fellow officer, Will Loughran, aged 23, who is also from Bolton, said: “It’s going really well so far. Everyone seems friendly and pleasant.

“It’s interesting to learn about all of the communities in Bury. We went to a synagogue in Prestwich yesterday and to a mosque on Tuesday.”

Dale Alston, aged 24, from Preston, said: “The training is good but there is a lot to take in. I have always wanted to work with the public but we are actually learning how to deal with different communities and how to talk to people.

“These events are good for us and good for the community. I think they bring just as good ideas to the table as the police can.”

Stuart Ellison, Chief Superintendent and Territorial Commander for GMP’ Wigan, Bolton and Bury Divisions, said: “The quality of new officers coming through is first class. They are also coming from a wide variety of backgrounds.

“This sort of event is really important to their training because one of the key aspects to being a police officer is understanding your community and learning how to talk to people.

“We get them to come down here in their plain clothes and talk to these groups. When they come back to us in six months they should have a good appreciation of the area and the communities in Bury. That can’t be undervalued.

“Bury has this really proud history with the Fusiliers. Some of these veterans may need a bit of support when they are coming back into society and I think we have a role to play in terms of supporting these people who have served our country.”