Final salute (From Warrington Guardian)

Final salute

to Bruche

BRUCHE training camp closed on Friday with a rain-soaked passing out parade.

The site flag was lowered as a lone piper played and a police helicopter flew overhead.

Forty staff were made redundant and 47 police trainers sent back to their forces.

"This place was like a little village. I have been to six weddings and three funerals," said law trainer David Griffiths who has worked at Bruche for 15 years.

Phil Richardson from Oakwood, the head chef for 21 years, said: "It was very emotional. I didn't think I'd see the day when we had the last flag lowering."

The Home Office and its agents are considering what to do with the site, a process which may take 12 months, said Norman Bettison, head of the police training agency which ran Bruche, Centrex.

If the Home Office does not want the site, it will be up for sale, though a portion may be used for specialist training like dog handling, said Centrex press manager, Emma Terleske.

Bruche gave recruits 12-weeks basic training before they returned to their forces as probationers.

Former trainees, now retired and many dressed in decade-old uniforms, reminisced at the closing about stories such as The Phantom Bugler and the private moments couples shared at the former piggery.

The camp also featured in the BBC's infamous undercover report into racism, The Secret Policeman though the decision to close it was made before the TV show was made.

The site was built in 1941 and used for US military personnel during the war before re-opening as a police training centre in 1946.

Centrex, which ran Bruche and three other camps like it, estimated 86,000 officers passed through it - enough to staff

Cheshire 40 times over.

The Home Office has decided individual forces will now train their own officers - which did not go down well with many of the retired police officers present.

"You were standardized, you could go anywhere," said retired officer Keith McCurray, formerly of Manchester City police.

"Now you could end up with all different variations between forces."

Mr Bettison said Centrex would try to co-ordinate training to prevent this problem arising.

He added: "The benefit of in-house training is that it's moving towards neighbourhood policing."

sbailey@guardiangrp.co.uk