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
News
Price caps and standardisations to be introduced for vet care in UK following major investigation
Emily Sergeant
Reforms to the veterinary industry to help pet owners better navigate the vet services market are set to be introduced this year.
After an independent inquiry group recently found that the current system is leaving pet owners ‘in the dark’, with a lack of information to help make informed decisions leading to weak competition and high prices, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has this week concluded its investigation into veterinary services for household pets in the UK.
The final report green-lights a package of measures to make the market more competitive, easier to navigate, and more responsive to pet owners’ needs.
It outlines the final remedies and recommendations, which together, will transform the market.
Remedies and recommendations in the report range from price caps and standardisations, through to upfront cost transparency.
We’ve set out major reforms to the UK’s veterinary sector now our market investigation is complete.
Our reforms will help pet owners better navigate the vet services market and will start coming into force later this year.
— Competition & Markets Authority (@CMAgovUK) March 24, 2026
Practices will soon be required to publish a comprehensive price list for standard services – including consultations, common procedures, diagnostics, written prescriptions and cremation options – so pet owners know up-front how much certain services are expected to cost.
They’ll also have to make it clear whether they are part of a group or an independent business, and provide a written estimate in advance for any treatment expected to cost £500 or more (including aftercare costs), plus an itemised bill.
Written prescription fees are set to be capped at £21 for the first medicine, and then £12.50 for any additional medicines.
Price caps and standardisations are set to be introduced for vet care in UK / Credit: Pxhere
There’s also set to be changes to the complaints process, as practices will now be required to follow a transparent, accessible, in-house complaints process, and engage in mediation where disputes cannot be resolved.
The CMA says an ‘unprecedented’ response from both the public and the sector has helped to shape the final report.
The next step is for the Government to respond to the report formally – with Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Emma Reynolds, commenting: “We are grateful for all the work of the Competition and Markets Authority, and we will respond to the report and set out next steps for our proposed reforms in due course.
“This Government is focused on helping families save money on vet services by improving transparency and choice around pricing, so the public can make informed decisions about their pets’ care.”
Featured Image – Pxhere
News
Police release footage of Manchester burglar who tried to evade arrest by hiding under a bed
Emily Sergeant
Police have released unseen footage of a Manchester burglar who tried to evade arrest and justice by hiding under a bed.
David Dale Thompson, of no fixed abode, appeared at Manchester Crown Court last week (18 March) where he was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to four counts of residential burglary at an earlier hearing.
The 43-year-old was caught early last year (15 January 2025) following proactive patrols by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) neighbourhood officers across Rusholme and Moss Side, who were in the area due to a high number of reports of burglaries in the weeks prior.
While on patrol, police spotted Thompson ‘acting suspiciously’ while riding a bike just before 5pm, and once officer subsequently followed him to a property on Boscombe Street, before calling for more officers to attend.
After gaining entry to the address, officers suspected something was wrong when they entered one of the rooms, and after lifting up the bed, they found Thompson hiding in the storage compartment attempting to evade arrest.
GMP has now released footage of the moment Thompson was caught.
Speaking following Thompson’s sentencing last week, Detective Inspector Natalie McDonald, of GMP’s Manchester Central Neighbourhood Crime Team, said: “This was a fantastic example of proactive policing, which has resulted in a serial offender now behind bars.
“We know how devastating a burglary in your own home can be and this shows our commitment to tackling them head on.
“If you have any information or concerns about neighbourhood crime in your area, make sure you speak to us. In the meantime, we have officers on regular patrols in areas that need us the most.”
Emily Sergeant -
19th February 2024 
