Home Secretary Hails Bravery Of Murdered PCs
20 September 2012, 10:04 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50
Home Secretary Theresa May has visited Greater Manchester Police HQ after the shooting of two female PCs in Mottram, and says police officers should not be routinely armed.
Mrs May cut short her holiday to travel back to the UK to visit the force.
The minister was given a two-hour briefing by senior officers conducting the investigation into the double murder of their own colleagues, which the Home Secretary described as "savage acts of pure brutality''.
Pcs Nicola Hughes who was 23 , and her colleague 32 year old Fiona Bone, died in a gun and grenade attack on Tuesday morning after being lured to a house on the Hattersley estate, Tameside, on a "routine'' call.
This morning (Thursday 20th September), officers searching the area where the gun and grenade attack happened have found a gun.
Capital's Alice Bailey's been speaking to Former Head of Special Ops for Greater Manchester Police, David Anthony, who says this is a significant development.
Former Head of Special Ops for Greater Manchester Police, David Anthony
Speaking from GMP's HQ, the Home Secretary pledged to support police in their investigation but again stated government policy was against the routine arming of officers.
"I'm clear that every resource that GMP needs should be made available to it and forces across the country have been giving support in the work that GMP are doing.
I think we are clear we have a British model of policing that is one that our police very much support. I think that routine unarmed policing that goes on in our streets is right. I don't think this is the time to be calling for the arming of police.''
Mrs May paid tribute to the "brave and talented'' officers who were gunned down, saying:
"The murders of Pc Fiona Bone and Pc Nicola Hughes were savage acts of pure brutality.
These were brave and talented officers who were going about their everyday duties, doing what they do, day in, day out, protecting the public, fighting crime and they were incredibly brave and their deaths are a reminder of what police officers face every day.''
