GMP on countdown to New Year

Police in Greater Manchester are urging partygoers to stay safe and drink responsibly this New Year’s Eve. With more than 80,000 revellers expected to descend on the city centre alone, Greater Manchester Police is increasing its presence in all popular nightspots across the county.

The high visibility patrols are part of an ongoing crackdown on crime and to provide public reassurance at this time of year.

Inspector Chris Hill said: “New Year’s Eve is our busiest night of the year and we want people to have a good time and enjoy themselves but to also take responsibility of themselves by pacing your drinks, sticking together with friends and plan a safe route home.

“People can make themselves vulnerable or make the wrong decisions when they have had too much alcohol so it’s always worth having a soft drink inbetween drinks.”

Greater Manchester Police is also reminding the public to only call 999 in an emergency or where there is a threat to life or a crime in progress to enable police officers to focus on the areas where they are really needed over New Year. The appeal comes after GMP’s call handlers dealt with more than 5,000 999 calls between midday Christmas Eve and midday Boxing Day. A significant proportion of these were from people who did not need the police and 72 were hoax calls.

People dialling 999 for non-emergency calls can put lives at risk because it could delay someone in need of urgent help getting through.