Borough police officer accidentally fired pistol inside station

The Mail Online has reported that an officer at Leigh station accidentally fired the blank pistol while "spinning it around in his hand" last month.

The force said the blank-firing pistol was being booked in when the incident happened, stunning onlooking officers but, fortunately, injuring nobody and causing no damage.

A source told The Mail Online: "He was spinning it around in his hand like "Billy The Kid", causing the gun to fire.

"This is a really serious incident, and they shouldn't get away with it just because they're a cop.

"They didn't know the gun was blank-firing at the time, but they were still messing around with it.

"If the pistol had been loaded with bullets, someone could have been killed."

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said: "On Tuesday 15 December 2020 a blank-firing pistol was discharged by an officer while the item was being booked-in to property and processed at Leigh police station.

"No one present was hurt and no damage was caused.

"An investigation commenced immediately, and the officer was taken off front-line duty for his shift that day and spoken to by a senior officer who strongly advised him of his conduct."

Thanks for reading. If you value what we do and are able to support us, a digital subscription is just £1 for your first month. Try us today by clicking here and viewing our offers.