Responding to the news that the PoliceWorks system – the failed part of GMPs iOPS computer system costing millions of pounds – will be scrapped, Liberal Democrat Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani called for those responsible to be held accountable.

Councillor Al-Hamdani said: “We have waited years for GMP and the police and crime commissioner to finally step up and acknowledge this massive failure. Now they have accepted it, who is going to carry the can?

“We have just seen a substantial increase in the Mayoral precept for every Council Tax payer in Greater Manchester. Is that money going straight from everyone’s pockets to cover this catastrophic investment in a failed IT system?”

Councillor Al-Hamdani, who has raised the iOPS system at the last two Oldham Council meetings after repeated failures to make a decision on it, challenged the huge cost of the system which has failed both victims of crime and the police officers who have been trying to use it.

He continued: “This decision was promised by the new Chief Constable in December, but yet again, we had to wait for another three months, sitting on a failing system while no decision was taken – again.

“In the meantime, GMP has been given yet another scathing report by the Inspectorate in charge (HMICFRS). It has been failure after failure after failure.

“The previous Chief Constable resigned after the force was placed into special measures. Who needs to take responsibility for this failure? Who is left standing? Andy Burnham and Bev Hughes.”