The Minister for Health Care and Justice The Honourable Neil F Costa MP was the guest of honour at the GRIT fitness and training session for the new set of RGP and GDP recruits that took place yesterday morning at the Central Hall.

The class was conducted by physical instructor Knolly Knight and consisted of high intensity circuit training, shuttle runs, weight lifting, martial arts movements and other core workouts.

Mr Costa had previously addressed recruits, as he does every year since his appointment as Minister for Justice, at an informal get together in New Mole House and his participation in the training session was part of the relationship building exercise he carries out with every fresh intake.

Seventeen recruits, including three from the Gibraltar Defence Police, took part alongside Mr Costa and several other RGP officers in charge of the overall course.

“It was a great atmosphere, and by creating this rapport the Minister is more approachable to the new recruits. Everyone enjoyed it,” said PS Scott Strachan the Training Sergeant.

The new recruits undergo tough physical tests five times during their training course and are expected to attain certain cardio vascular targets and levels of fitness.

By the final test that they do, their performance results should have improved to a higher standard.

The physical tests or Bleep test, is a multi-stage fitness assessment which accounts for a percentage of the overall RGP training programme, although recruits do undergo training in their own time.

The bleep test is an accurate measurement of athletic endurance used to test professional and amateur fitness, and is often included during recruitment for active careers, such as police services and armies.