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History of Formby Police Station which was opened in 1894 on a piece of land bought for £100
Formby Police Station at number 34 Church Road Formby was opened on the 13th October 1894.
Back in 1892 the County Council purchased a piece of land from the Reverend Lonsdale Formby and John Formby Esq. of Formby for the sum of £100
Plans were drawn up for a police station, with cells, to be built on a site on the corner of Church Road and School Lane, Formby in March, 1893.
It cost a total of £2,074 to build and was manned by seven police officers.
In 1896, Formby had a population of 5,401 and that figure has now risen to about 24,160 in 2025.
Formby Police Station in the snow 2024
A photo merged from 1890's and 2024 from
Then and Now site
In 1994, a local Formby police constable called Dougie Knight decided it would be a great idea to hold a centenary celebration for the Police Station and it was a great success!
The Formby police station celebrated its centenary and a 12 page booklet was published. The booklet was illustrated by Dougie Knight and poem written by Formbys very own award winning historian Joan Rimmer.
Illustrated by Dougie Knight
THE VILLAGE BOBBIES by Joan Rimmer
They had no need for Walkie Talkies
No need at all for Panda cars,
Our bobbies here used Shanks' Pony And never went to Seminars.
No brass hats breathing down their necks here,
No forms in triplicate to write,
Just leisured strolls around the village,
Keeping watch by day and night.
We knew them all and they knew us then, Respected, held in high esteem,
These seven men were our protectors,
Reliable, trusted, first rate team.
Then formby was a quiet backwash,
Open doors, no bolts and bars,
Crime was almost nonexistent, And hardly any motor cars.
Fred Beswick was the tall and lean one,
Small moustache and big flat feet,
We all felt safe with Fred amongst us,
Pounding round his Formby beat.
Norman Brooks, the quiet shy one,
Played piano in the band,
But don't forget he's still a copper,
Toe the line, or feel his hand!
Bob Greenhalgh was the big rotund chap,
Crime detection was his game,
Sergeant Coulthard at his station,
Watch your step - they knew your name!
George Davidson and big Bill Hoptroff, Were the men we all admired,
Plus PC Rooke, the mounted policeman,
All hoped they'd stay until retired.
In such a law abiding village.
Seven policemen seemed a lot.
But pay was low and no inflation, Meant the best was what we got.
Men of honour, poorly paid then,
Unsocial hours, but quite content,
Our Formby bobbies were our mentors, And we missed them when they went.
By Joan Rimmer
In 2012 the Police Station was closed to members of the Public but remained available to police officers.
This photo is of the front and 1st page of the 12 page booklet celebrating its first 100 years.
A PDF file of all 12 pages of the booklet from the Formby Civic Society archive can be downloaded from the Formby Civic Society website at :-
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