Emergency police cars given to civilian staff

Greater Manchester Police is one of seven police forces in England to have given company cars with blue lights and sirens to civilian staff not trained to use them.

None of the vehicles had been used in an emergency, and the drivers of the vehicles were not qualified to use them in such circumstances.

One tax expert told the BBC that the recipients could save thousands of pounds each year as emergency vehicles are treated differently by HM Revenue and Customs.

The forces all denied the arrangements were part of efforts to reduce their tax bills.

BBC News sent Freedom of Information requests to all 45 UK forces, asking them if they had provided civilian staff with cars fitted with emergency response equipment.