Police riot squad based in Tyldesley

The refurbished Shuttle Street station is home to the Tactical Aid Unit as well as Tyldesley area officers.

The tactical aid unit serves Leigh, Bolton and Wigan but can also be deployed anywhere in the force -- recently their services were required in the recent Oldham riots.

Supt. Mary Boylan, head of Leigh sub division, explained that tactical aid unit officers are specially trained to deal with public order.

They work football matches and the majority of officers are trained to be members of Polsa -- part of their work is to search through fields following murders and to make house to house inquires after major incidents.

Modern facilities

The special unit is based at Shuttle Street station which is now gleaming with fresh paint and top modern facilities--but just five months ago it was so old-fashioned that officers were unable to use some areas.

Offices have been over-hauled, disused cells have been removed, a top-of-the-range front counter has been installed and the building now has better security.

Superintendent Boylan described the improvements as "wonderful".

She said: "All the offices have been re-furbished, the kitchen area, the dining area and the shower facilities have been totally re-vamped."

A special feature of the improvements is a brand new front counter - which is a model of the counter at Leigh Police Station.

Supt. Boylan said: "The front counter is state-of-the art. It is far more secure and has CCTV cameras in place. It is a lot better now."

Now members of the public can be dealt with in greater privacy when they come to the front counter, which is in an enclosed room. They ring a bell outside and are allowed in individually.

During the refurbishment it took a month to remove asbestos found in the building. A NEW building is to be developed in a few years time as a base for Tyldesley, Atherton and Astley officers.

Supt. Boylan said the project was still at the planning stage.