Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has the quickest response times to 999 calls of any police force in England, it has been revealed.
It’s all according to data sourced via police.uk.
The latest data from November of last year shows that 41,786 out of 44,491 emergency 999 calls made were answered by GMP within 10 seconds (93.9%), with the average speed of answer for that month being just two seconds, and then the following month, 93.4% of some 45,860 calls were answered by the police force within 10 seconds.
Average answer times for non-emergency calls using 101 also reduced within the year, from just over a minute in January 2023 to 30 seconds in January 2024.
June 2023 saw the highest levels of demand for 101 non-emergency calls, the data has revealed, with some 79,109 calls coming into GMP’s Force Contact, Crime and Operations (FCCO) centre and 83.2% of those answered within the 101 non-emergency service level required of three minutes.
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GMP revealed as having quickest response times to 999 calls of any police force in England / Credit: GMP
GMP is partly owing its increase in call response times to the fact it has made “significant investment” in its FCCO centre recently.
In particular, a new leadership team was established at the centre back in 2022, and this was accompanied by what the force has called a “concerted recruitment campaign” to provide all call handlers with the resources required to answer calls for service “efficiently”.
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On top of this, a so-called ‘revised graded response policy’ was also introduced, with the basis of this being an initial THRIVE (Threat, Harm, Risk, Investigation, Vulnerability, Engagement) assessment – which ensures the force now prioritises its calls for service as “effectively” as it possibly can.
#GOODNEWS | GMP had the quickest response times to 999 calls of any police force in the country.
Latest data shows – 📞 93.9% answered within 10 seconds in November 2023 🎧 93.4% answered within 10 seconds in December 2023
“In particular our hardworking call handlers, customer enquiry unit, digital team, radio dispatchers, crime recorders, and force operations centre team who answer and respond to calls for service.”
Featured Image – GMP
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Premier League Darts is returning to Manchester’s AO Arena in 2027
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Premier League Darts is confirmed to be returning to Manchester next year.
Now’s your chance to see the youngest world champion in darts history, AKA Warrington’s very-own Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler, show us how it’s done, as next year’s BetMGM Premier League Darts lineup has just been announced this week – with various dates confirmed across 17 different cities in the UK and Europe.
And Manchester is one of those cities, as the AO Arena has shared that they are set to host an evening next April, and we couldn’t be more excited about it.
This means that we will be lucky enough to witness the biggest names in world darts all under one roof, including headliners Gian van Veen and Luke Humphries, as well as Littler.
Manchester is the only northern city to get the pleasure of hosting the event next year, as Liverpool is also on the lineup, as is Leeds, Sheffield, and Newcastle, while elsewhere in the UK, the stars will travel to Glasgow, Birmingham, London, and several other major locations.
BetMGM Premier League Darts is to be held on Thursday 8 April at the AO Arena in Manchester, and to avoid being disappointed, fans are advised to register for presale ticket access.
Following a successful season of events in 2026, tickets are expected to be like gold-dust, so don’t say you haven’t been warned.
To access the first wave of tickets, fans must become an active PDCTV Annual Member before 23:59pm on Friday 9 October. Alternatively, general sale is on Thursday 22 October 2026, but make sure not to hang about.
Featured Image – Sandro Halank (via Wikimedia Commons)
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Andy Burnham wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on drinking alcohol in football stands
Emily Sergeant
Andy Burnham has claimed he wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on fans getting to drink alcohol in football stands.
It’s a ban that’s been in place in the top five tiers of men’s football since 1985, when fears over violence and hooliganism were at their height, but now the Prime Minister has raised the question of whether drinking in football stands – or ‘drinking in sight / view of the pitch’, as it’s known formally – is actually unjust, due to the fact that same rules don’t apply to fans of other sports.
“I don’t think it’s fair for football fans to be singled out in that way,” Andy Burnham has declared this week, grabbing headlines in the process.
He continued: “I think that legislation dates to an era where football was very different, and I do believe there is a case to remove that discrimination.
“I’m not going to back away from what’s been a long-held view of mine. I don’t see how it can be fair that some supporters of one sport can be treated differently.”
The Prime Minister’s comments have been met with mixed response.
Andy Burnham wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on drinking alcohol in football stands / Credit: James Kirkup | Julia Nastogadka (via Unsplash)
The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA), for example, has very much welcomed the idea, saying that it ‘totally agrees’ the legislation is ‘outdated’ and ‘deserves to be reviewed’.
Tom Greatrex, chair of the FSA, said in a statement: “The FSA has always argued that it’s unfair to criminalise football fans for having a pint while watching the match – especially since you can sit in the same seat drinking alcohol whilst watching an Oasis gig or rugby league.”
However, on the flip side, the UK Football Policing Unit said it would be ‘incredibly rash’ to change the rules without proper consultation.
“Other sports simply don’t see the violence and criminal behaviour from their supporters that football does, albeit a minority, with alcohol often playing a significant part in violent and disorderly behaviour,” it said in a statement on the matter.
The Prime Minister did state in his initial proposition though that ‘there are different ways it could be done’, hinting that it could be done ‘on a trial basis’ perhaps.
The English Football League (EFL) added that it would be ‘receptive to discussions around reviewing current legislation and permitting alcoholic drinks within view of the pitch’.
No formal details on a review have been confirmed as of yet, so fans are encouraged to stay tuned for updates in due course.
Emily Sergeant -
19th February 2024 
