Greasby's ex-Police houses
Greasby's ex-Police Houses
Cheshire Police Authority built houses in Greasby to accommodate Police Officers who were stationed in the Wirral Division. In 1955 and 1956, five houses in Greasby Road were completed and occupied. Number 285 was a detached house which had a small office attached as a single-storey side extension. The first occupant was PC Perkins, who worked the Greasby beat area. The other properties, although semi-detached, had a similar layout to the detached house but they did not have any offices. The occupants of these semis all worked in the Hoylake Urban District Council area. Number 287 was occupied by PC Rushton: number 289 by PC Saunders: number 291 by PC Murthwaite (PC 500) and number 293 by PC Hicks.
Each of the houses had the Cheshire County Council coat of arms positioned above the front door
The office at the detached house (number 285) was used for interviews and report writing by PC Perkins. There were no lock-up facilities, nor was there a cellar. This house still has the original two driveways - one for the police vehicle and one for the constable's private car.
Later occupants of the houses were PCs Langshaw and Gordon.
Cheshire Police also owned two semi-detached houses at numbers 20 and 22 Arrowe Road. These were occupied by PCs Green and Hurleston who both worked in the Hoylake UDC area. Number 22 still (2007) has the Cheshire coat of arms.
There was also a rented property in Greasby Road near to Pump Lane. This property was vacated in the 1960s.
In 1974 the change in local government meant that Merseyside Police would be responsible for Wirral. The Greasby police houses and office were vacated and sold into private ownership. The office in number 285 Greasby Road is now converted to a kitchen.
Historical Note -
There is a reference to a police station is in the Greasby section of "The Hundred of Wirral" by Philip Sulley, published in 1889. The location of the station is not given. The information states only "There is also a police station".
One mystery remains - the ex-police houses in Arrowe Road are numbers 20 and 22. The next house along the road is number 34. Why are numbers 24 to 32 missing?