Senior police officer will never be forgotten as room is named in his memory

Bob Tonge, a senior investigating officer for Greater Manchester Police, died in January, aged 57, after more than 30 years in policing.

His colleagues wanted to do something to honour him, so they decided to rename a room at the force's Nexus House in Ashton-under Lyne.

The Bob Tonge conference room has now been officially opened.

Assistant Chief Constable Mabs Hussain and Chief Superintendent Anthony Creely met Mr Tonge's wife Diane and brother David, before presenting a certificate to them during a short ceremony.

Mr Hussain said: "It was an absolute honour and privilege to speak with Bob's family and share this moment with them.

"Bob was an inspirational leader who had a huge impact on staff and officers alike, and through this dedication, together with stories of all those who knew him, he will be remembered for many years to come.

"He made a significant contribution to policing across Greater Manchester for over 36 years, supporting numerous grieving and victims of crime and ensuring perpetrators for some of the most horrific crimes were brought to justice.

"He was incredibly proud to serve the public and it is without doubt that he helped hundreds of people through some of the darkest times of their lives.

"Bob was a humble and kind man who always thought about how he could help and support others. He will be missed immeasurably by his team and colleagues far and wide across the force and beyond."

Mrs Tonge expressed her thanks to his colleagues for the kind tribute and hoped it would ensure he is remembered by the force for a long time to come.

She said: “Bob was so proud of his work and his team. He would come home all the time and tell us how fantastic his GMP colleagues were. He was dedicated and loved his job and it's so nice to know that he was so well-thought of.”

Bob’s brother David said: “Bob was a fantastic person and a wonderful brother. He was the organiser of the family and a great person to be around. He loved his job because he felt like he was making a real difference.”

Mr Tonge joined GMP as a PC at Bootle Street Police Station in 1984 and throughout his career worked across a number of districts and departments before he retired as an officer in 2014, at the rank of detective superintendent within the serious crime division.

He returned to GMP the same year to become senior investigating officer in the major investigation support unit, public protection and the serious crime division, where he worked until his death.

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