OLD habits die hard, and two former police chiefs have teamed up again to catch drug dealers, robbers and other criminals - this time in a é1.5m business venture.

Trevor Barton, 62, worked his way up from a Pc in the Lancashire Constabulary to chief superintendent with the Greater Manchester force during a 32-year career.

After he retired in 1995, he set up Professional Witnesses, a surveillance and security training business based in Atherton.

He employs 35 people full-time - many of them ex-cops and special military forces personnel. His latest recruit is 49-year-old Peter Aaronson, who retired from Greater Manchester Police last November after 30 years, latterly as a superintendent. Peter served under Trevor in his early days and has now joined the business as operations director.

'Role model'

He says: "Trevor was a role model for me in the 1970s as my old boss and I'm delighted to be working with him again."

Professional Witnesses will turn over é1.5m this financial year, up from é1.2m and a far cry from the é7,000 Trevor generated during his first 12 months in business.

Among its core activities is Operation Hawk-Eye, which deploys video surveillance teams in vans in areas where there have been a high number of robberies on security teams delivering and collecting cash.

"We've played our part in the arrest and conviction of several gangs," says Trevor.

Suspicions

Another big area of activity is infiltrating workplaces from where goods have disappeared, or where there are suspicions of drug dealing or racism.

"We act for a number of blue-chip companies, which call us in to try to find out, for example, why they are suffering losses of goods from their warehouses," says Trevor.

"Our staff masquerade as members of the workforce, they look and listen. Sometimes they find proof, sometimes there is no evidence."

Spying on suspected `neighbours from hell' provides another income stream.

Local authorities and housing associations use Professional Witnesses' staff to watch people believed to be harassing other tenants or involved in other anti-social behaviour.

Chameleons

Trevor says proudly: "We've been able to resolve crimes, we've proved that we can stand up to the bullies. We are chameleons. We have to be flexible and willing to change. We're trying to keep people safe, to keep them out of harm's way and fill the voids for the police.

"In many ways, I am still much more of a policeman than a businessman."

Protecting people delivering jewellery or cigarettes to shops is another side to the business, along with providing minders across Europe for celebrities, top business people and public figures.

Professional Witnesses is harnessing modern technology from its control room at HQ to keep tabs via satellite tracking devices hidden in valuable goods which could be a target for thieves.

Security

A growing part of the business is providing security training for companies and identifying potential weaknesses, then reports back to the client.

Trevor says: "It's evolved as people use us more and more to help tackle their problems."

Outside of work, he is chairman of the Leigh and District Sports Partnership and is a driving force behind a new é67m Leigh Sports Village development.

Peter said he is relishing his new challenge and says the increasingly businesslike nature of the police has helped him bridge the divide after switching from the public to private sector.

"It's a continuation of using my skills and abilities to fight crime," he says. "My job is to co-ordinate all the aspects of the company, make sure the customers are happy with the services we provide.

"It's intensely rewarding - we are providing protection and creating a safe environment for our customers, to help them through their difficulties. Some of it takes a long time, but it's worth it."

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