£1.45m for a second-hand chopper

It may have ended its useful life with Greater Manchester Police, but the force’s old helicopter, pictured left, has been sold for £1.45 million.

It was replaced in August 2008 with a new machine costing £4.7 million, equipped with the latest high-tech equipment.

The state-of-the-art MD 902 Explorer landed at its base in Barton and replaced the seven-year-old model which had played an invaluable role in policing Greater Manchester, carrying out nearly 5,500 assignments in 2007 leading to the arrest of 700 criminals.

The old helicopter was put on the market and has now been sold to Police Aviation Services, a specialist support company based at Gloucester Airport.