A former detective has been found guilty of stealing cocaine from police storage to sell on Greater Manchester’s streets.
Andrew Talbot has been convicted following an investigation led by Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Anti-Corruption Unit – which commenced back in February 2020 after he was captured on CCTV dropping a small bag of cocaine outside his daughter’s primary school.
GMP’s enquiries uncovered that the 54-year-old stole almost four kilograms of cocaine while he was working in the force’s Serious Crime Division at Nexus House.
Shortly after being notified of the CCTV footage, police then went on to search Talbot, his car, and his home, where they found more cocaine, drug paraphernalia, and evidence to indicate that he had been abusing his privileged access to the force’s property storage for criminal purposes.
GMP says it could “confidently piece together” that Talbot’s offending spanned over two years, after examining his mobile phone, and his use of computer system and operational exhibits.
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#SENTENCED | A former detective has been convicted of stealing cocaine from police storage to use for street supply.
Our anti-corruption unit helped bring Andrew Talbot (54) to justice for the full extent of his crimes.
In November 2023, Talbot pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of cocaine, possession of ammunition without a firearm certificate, theft of cocaine, conspiracy, two counts of misconduct in public office, and a further charge of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office, and following these admissions, he was sacked by GMP at an accelerated misconduct hearing earlier this year.
Following a trial at Liverpool Crown Court yesterday (25 September 2024), Talbot was found guilty of supplying a controlled drug of Class A, misconduct in public office, and failing to comply with a notice under section 49 of the Regulation and Investigatory Powers Act 2000, GMP has confirmed.
“This was a lengthy and detailed investigation demonstrating the diligence of the officers in our Anti-Corruption Unit, and this case sends a strong message about the expectations we have for serving police officers,” commented Detective Chief Inspector Jennifer Adams, of GMP’s Anti-Corruption Unit, after Talbot was found guilty this week.
“We know the vast majority of officers are dedicated and compassionate professionals, but we have no tolerance for anyone like Talbot who is not fit to serve the people of Greater Manchester.”
Featured Image – GMP
News
Major pop star crowns humble rice and three cafe as ‘Jewel of Manchester’ ahead of sold-out gig
Thomas Melia
A beloved city centre takeaway has been given the title of ‘Jewel of Manchester’ by chart-topping UK singer Sam Smith.
Known for hits like ‘Stay With Me’, ‘I’m Not The Only One’ and more recently ‘Unholy’, UK pop-ballad act Sam Smith also likes to drop a food review every once in a while.
Currently on the road with a run of shows in Manchester and London for their ‘To Be Free’ live shows, Sam Smith is stopping off at some of our city’s much-loved spots.
On their food-reviewing account titled ‘Sam Served’, where they adopt the aptly-fitting nickname ‘Ham Smith’, Sam has visited restaurants across the globe – and most recently turned their attention to Manchester’s own This & That.
Smith decided to pop in and grab a cheeky rice and three from long-standing backstreet food business This & That, and it certainly went down a treat.
After sampling their amazing selection of meat, vegetable and vegan curries, the musician crowned this family-run Indian takeaway a ‘Jewel of Manchester’.
The hitmaker described this Northern Quarter Indian eatery as ‘Everything food should be’ and definitely enjoyed all the curries on offer ‘leaving belly and heart full’.
This & That prides itself on affordable and comforting food with its ‘Rice and Three Curries’ starting from just £6 – not bad for a city centre foodie spot.
Sam has racked up an impressive 490k followers via their ‘Sam Served’ profile, with famous faces like Lily Allen, Denise Welch and CMAT all wanting to know the superstar’s foodie thoughts.
After enjoying a curry or three, Sam Smith also made sure to feed their soul to by venturing down to Afflecks and getting lost in the music at Mars Tapes.
Recognised as one of the UK’s only cassette and tape shops, Mars Tapes lets you flick through their crates of physical media and even preview tracks before you buy with its dedicated listening areas.
It’s safe to say that Smith has ‘Latched’ onto Manchester’s independent business scene and we’re here for it.
The London-born artist has just released their latest album Hazel Eyes and is currently amid a UK residency tour with two dates in Manchester’s Albert Hall and eight shows set for London Coliseum.
24-hour bus services are now running across all Greater Manchester boroughs
Emily Sergeant
24-hour bus services are now running across all boroughs in Greater Manchester.
You may remember that back in March, it was announced that every borough of Greater Manchester was set to get a night bus service in what is hoped to be a ‘boost’ to the night-time economy… and now it’s official, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has launched those 24-hour buses this month, along with a series of other measures.
Oldham, Stockport, Tameside, and Trafford now join the rest of Greater Manchester in having 24-hour bus services, meaning every part of the region will have a night bus operating Thursday through to Sunday.
It’s expected that these new services will help around 625,400 people working in the night-time economy across Greater Manchester, as well as those out enjoying the region’s nightlife, TfGM has said.
The routes which will run around the clock from Thursday until Sunday are:
50 (Salford – Manchester)
216 (Tameside – Manchester)
263 (Trafford – Manchester)
192 (Stockport – Manchester)
83 (Oldham – Manchester)
All Greater Manchester boroughs now have 24-hour bus services / Credit: TfGM
They launch alongside the most significant service changes to the Bee Network since the completion of bus franchising last year – including other new bus routes, and more frequent services across Greater Manchester.
“We want everyone to be able to enjoy everything Greater Manchester offers, without the worry of how to get there and get home,” commented Greater Manchester Mayor, Bev Craig.
“By growing the Bee Network, we’re making it easier than ever for people to use the bus, day and night.
“Our night buses are already providing a lifeline to some of the hundreds of thousands of people who are growing our night-time economy and working in essential public services.”
“Whether people are heading home from a night at the theatre or starting the early shift at a hospital, they can now get on board the night bus as a safe and affordable way to travel.”
Further improvements will delivered from January 2027, and a full breakdown by borough can be found on the Bee Network website here.
Emily Sergeant -
26th September 2024 
