Bruche Police National Training Centre

The Bruche Police Training Centre was a training complex for police officers in the United Kingdom until its closure in May 2006. The site in a suburb of Warrington was operated by CENTREX, the 'Central Police Training and Development Authority'. Police forces from the northern part of England and Wales sent new recruits to the centre for the main part of their basic training, which consisted mainly of law training and officer safety tactics. Training included several role-play scenarios at the Sandford mockup village. Newly recruited officers would spend a solid 12 weeks at Bruche before ever stepping onto the street. Officers slept in dorm-style accommodation, and had strict curfew times. Other rules enforced on the new recruits were having to work behind the on-site bar.

The forces that sent officers to Bruche were mainly:

• North Wales Police
• South Yorkshire Police
• West Yorkshire Police
• Greater Manchester Police
• Lancashire Constabulary
• Cumbria Constabulary
• Merseyside Police
• Cheshire Constabulary
• British Transport Police
• Humberside Police
• Lincolnshire Police
• North Yorkshire Police
• Isle of Man Constabulary

Forces in other parts of the country usually sent their recruits to similar centres at Ashford in Kent, Aykley Heads in Durham, Ryton-on-Dunsmore in Warwickshire and Cwmbran in South Wales. When the police training system changed in 2006 Ashford, Cwmbran and Bruche centres closed, while Ryton is now used for other police and Immigration Service training. Aykley Heads (Durham) continues to train Durham Constabulary and Northumbria Police Officers, as well as being Durham Constabulary HQ.