STEPHEN Westcott - the face of modern police management - has praised Leigh's traditional values for helping ease the local policeman's lot (writes Malcolm Ryding).

Speaking on his last day as a chief inspector before transferring on promotion to superintendent at Didsbury, Mr Westcott said he hoped that those traditional values would survive.

Mr Westcott, who is returning to an area where he first started policing in 1979, is the product of an accelerated promotion course at Bramshill Police College and a three year BSC Hons degree at Salford University.

He has also seen spells of duty as inspector at Manchester Airport and in Research and Development for five years.

On his promotion to chief inspector he moved to Leigh, where he had earlier helped police the miners strike at Bickershaw, Parsonage and Golborne Collieries.

Before his police career, Mr Westcott spent four years in Portugal working as Second Secretary to the Rhodesian Diplomatic Mission in Lisbon.

His family emigrated to Rhodesia - now Zimbabwe - when he was a child. He followed his father into the Civil Service, first in the Treasury and then the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

Replaced by Ch Insp Brian Wroe, Mr Westcott said he hoped all his colleagues at Leigh would continue to enjoy the help and co-operation of the public. He paid tribute to good relations enjoyed with the local authority, elected representatives and all the voluntary agencies.

"Leigh is in good hands with the police mangement team, officers and support staff," said Mr Westcott, who also paid tribute to the support of his wife, Julie.

Supt Malcolm Howells summed up his colleague as "capable, decisive and caring."

"He is the face of modern police management. His presence will be sorely missed at Leigh where his personal involvement has guaranteed success for many of our policing initiatives, working in partnership with the public and other agencies."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.