Praise for villlage's PCSO

The arrival of a Police Community Support Officer in Penkridge has been hailed a huge success by parish councillors who have praised the officer for "doing a good job".

PCSO Dell Slater has been on the beat in the village for the past six months, but is now fully trained and allowed out on his own.

And he will soon be seen riding around the village on a £300 bike when it is donated to him by Penkridge Business Association. A number of crimes were reported in the village in the month since April 10.

There were two burglaries, one car was stolen, one was broken into and a street warning was issued for possession of cannabis to a non-resident of the village.

There were six calls received about youths causing anti-social behaviour, six calls about nuisance vehicles and three reports of criminal damage.

Mr Slater has issued 23 fixed penalty notices in the past month for various offences and members of the parish council said they had noticed his efforts.

Councillor Bevan Craddock said: "Dell Slater seems to have been pretty active and obvious.

"You see him around the village, walking the streets, or mixing with everybody at events, and he seems to be getting on well with everybody and doing a good job."

Councillor Isobel Ford said: "We must congratulate him on his enthusiasm."

Council chairwoman Anne Geoghegan, who is also involved in the business association which bought Dell Slater the bike, said: "He is a very pro-active young man and talking a lot to young people to find out their views about various things and talking about their problems.

"We were just talking one day and he had to rush to the other side of the village on foot. I realised he had a big patch and thought he could do with a bike. Anything that gets the police to the job quicker is a good thing."