Serious crime division cop accused of supplying class A drugs and possessing ammunition appears in court

A police officer in the serious crime division of Greater Manchester Police has appeared in court charged with a series of criminal offences including supplying class A drugs and possessing ammunition.

PC Andrew Talbot, 53, a GMP officer from Wigan, appeared before a judge at Liverpool and Knowsley Magistrates' Court on Thursday morning.

He did not enter pleas to a variety of charges and a judge adjourned his case until next month when he will appear at Liverpool Crown Court. The father-of-two, of Findlay Street in Wigan, is currently suspended from duty.

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He confirmed his name and date of birth during a hearing at Liverpool and Knowsley Magistrates' Court this morning.

The officer has been charged with two counts of possessing class A drugs, possessing ammunition, failure to comply with a notice made under section 49 of the Regulation Investigatory Powers Act, theft, intent to supply class A drugs, conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office, three counts of misconduct in public office, and three counts of accessing police systems without authority.

He was not asked to enter pleas to any of the charges against him. The charges were authorised following an investigation by GMP's anti-corruption unit into alleged incidents between 2017 and 2021.

The anti-corruption unit started its investigation in February 2020 and PC Talbot was arrested in that month, according to GMP. PC Talbot appeared in the dock alongside a co-defendant, Keith Bretherton.

Mr Bretherton, 49, of Boxhill Drive in Wigan, has been