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Rare police photos unlock memories of Greater Manchester town's past

Images show police officers patrolling the streets and shops of the bustling town centre

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    • Photos capture police officers on patrol in Greater Manchester
    Photos capture police officers on patrol in Greater Manchester

    A rare set of police photographs capture life half a century ago in a Greater Manchester town.

    Leigh town centre in Wigan is set to be rejuvenated by a £11.4m award from the government's Levelling Up Fund.

    The town is set to get a new market hall and Bradshawgate, its main shopping area, is set to be overhauled.

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    This news comes on top of another cash injection for Leigh last month where £20m was promised over a 10-year period to help regenerate high streets and tackle anti-social behaviour.

    With the funding being good news for the town and its residents, we've found some rare photographs taken of Leigh town centre around 50-years ago.

    The photos are from Greater Manchester Police's archives and were taken in the late 1960s / early 1970s, as part of police training and showing officers on patrol in Leigh.

    The archive photos capture how the streets of the town's main shopping streets once looked, and are sure to bring back some fond memories.

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    Do these photos awaken any memories for you? Let us know in the comments section below.

    1. Bradshawgate close to its junction with Union Street in Leigh, Wigan

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    2. Police look through window next to a Kodak film camera dispenser on the outside wall of a shop in Leigh, Wigan

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    3. Police call in to an electrical retailer in Leigh, Wigan

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    4. Policeman on foot, returning to Leigh police station

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    5. Leigh town centre

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