EXTRA patrols were ordered on the streets and the borough's police stations stayed opened following the collapse of Greater Manchester Police's main telephone system.

A technical problem on the 872 5050 switchboard resulted in the public being unable to report non-emergency crimes and incidents or speak to officers at police stations throughout the force area from Tuesday until late on Wednesday afternoon.

High visibility patrols were sent out so the public could speak to officers in the street. While the divisional HQ in Bury is a 24-hour station, those in Ramsbottom, Radcliffe, Prestwich and Whitefield were kept open round the clock as engineers resolved the problem.