Manchester Ship Canal Police (also known as Manchester Dock Police and the Port of Manchester Police) was a police force in the United Kingdom that was responsible for policing the

Manchester Ship Canal The Manchester Ship Canal is a inland waterway in the North West of England linking Manchester to the Irish Sea. Starting at the Mersey Estuary at Eastham, near Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, it generally follows the original routes of the river ...

. It was maintained by the Manchester Ship Canal Company between 26 December 1893, when the canal opened, and 31 January 1993. On formation in 1893 the force consisted of one superintendent and 15 other ranks. In 1977, it consisted of 103 constables. Members of the force were appointed as constables under two Acts of Parliament: the

Canals Offences Act 1840 Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flow und ...

and the

Harbours, Docks and Piers Clauses Act 1847 The Harbours, Docks and Piers Clauses Act 1847 is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom which governs harbours, docks and piers. Port police The act allows two justices of the peace to swear in port police officers as "special constables" w ...

(which was incorporated by and with the

Manchester Ship Canal Act 1885 The Manchester Ship Canal is a inland waterway in the North West of England linking Manchester to the Irish Sea. Starting at the Mersey Estuary at Eastham, near Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, it generally follows the original routes of the rive ...

). Their jurisdiction extended from

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

Eastham, Merseyside Eastham is a village and an Ward (country subdivision), electoral ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in Merseyside, England. Historic counties of England, Historically (until 1974), it was part of Cheshire. It is situated on the Wirral P ...

where the Manchester Ship Canal started at the

River Mersey The River Mersey () is in North West England. Its name derives from Old English and means "boundary river", possibly referring to its having been a border between the ancient kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria. For centuries it has formed part ...

, along the length of the canal and within one mile of same and to its subsidiary waterways, canals and adjoining works. The canal is now patrolled by the

Port of Liverpool Police The Port of Liverpool Police is a non- Home Office ports police force with responsibility for Liverpool, Bootle, Birkenhead, Ellesmere Port and Eastham Dock Estates and Freeports, as well as the Manchester Ship Canal areas in the north-west of E ...

References

External links

*Photographs of a Ship Canal Polic
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buttonPhotograph of a former office of the Ship Canal Police
{{UK private and military police forces Defunct port police forces of the United Kingdom Manchester docks

See also

References

External links