GREATER Manchester Police (GMP) has been recognised for its commitment to serving the armed forces community.

The force has been presented with a gold award in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme.

After GMP signed the Armed Forces Covenant in 2015, the following year, a small network of armed forces champions were brought together in its Bury district, led by Inspector Jim Jones.

They began working to support not only vulnerable veterans who had been arrested, but any vulnerable veteran in crisis or needing additional support.

The group also became involved with the local authority-led Armed Forces Covenant group.

GMP Assistant Chief Constable Chris Sykes witnessed how much this work was benefitting those within this section of the community and established a Supporting Our Armed Forces steering group.

The group is a partnership of different leads from recruitment, HR, neighbourhood confidence and equality, organisational learning and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

The steering group has an overall aim of becoming the most armed forces friendly police force in the country.

And GMP says the gold award from the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme is an important milestone on the way to achieving this goal.

ACC Sykes said: "The Gold Award is a magnificent achievement but what is more important is that it demonstrates how members of the armed forces community within Greater Manchester whether employed by us or in the community we serve receive the best possible service we can offer.

"GMP is one of only five forces nationally to have achieved Gold Award status and of those five forces we are the only one in addition to meeting the requirements of the employer recognition scheme award, have a comprehensive programme of support for the armed forces community we serve in Greater Manchester.

"In addition to the above our work in this area has attracted interest from other forces wishing to improve their own relationships with the armed forces and we have been instrumental locally in supporting, Merseyside, Lancashire and Cumbria Constabularies to not only sign the covenant but also put their own internal structures in place.

"We have also assisted forces as far afield as The States of Jersey Police and have been referred to by the North West Reserve Forces and Cadet Association who are responsible on behalf of the Ministry of Defence for overseeing the covenant in our region as 'An exemplar forces friendly employer'."

MoD north west regional employer engagement director, Chris Ashworth, said: "Employing one of the largest number of reservists in the north west, GMP provide an additional 10-15 days leave to help meet their annual training commitments; and an additional 5 days leave to cadet force adult volunteers, allowing them to take their cadets on annual camp.

"GMP also has a fantastic armed forces network, employ more than 450 veterans and actively recruit service leavers; supporting them through their resettlement into policing.

"Driven by their hugely enthusiastic and supportive Armed Forces Champion, Inspector Jim Jones, GMP is an exemplar forces friendly employer - thank you for your support!"