Rallying cry to join battle against crime

Homeowners in a Staffordshire district have been urged to sign up to a scheme that could help cut crime throughout the district. There are currently 260 Neighbourhood Watch schemes in the area.

Co-ordinator Viki Singleton today called for more to be set up. Already this year, five new groups have been created in Cannock and five more have started in Rugeley. Three others are in the process of being set up. Neighbourhood Watch is seen as a crucial tool in fighting crime.

It has been hugely successful since being imported to the UK from the United States in the early 1980s.

Mrs Singleton, who has been supporting Neighbourhood Watch groups in the area for eight years, said more schemes would lead to a fall in crime.

In Cannock, there are more than 9,000 households involved in Neighbourhood Watch, with almost 4,500 in Rugeley.

Mrs Singleton, aged 55, who is employed by Staffordshire Police to support the project, said: "If we could get 100 per cent coverage, that would be ideal, and if we had more members, it would reduce crime."

The largest Neighbourhood Watch project in the Cannock Chase district is in Prospect Village, near Hednesford, where every one of the 276 households are signed up.

Some schemes have more than 200 members but most have between 30 and 50.

A group can be set up on part of a street, a whole street or a group of streets.

Each scheme has a co-ordinator and members receive Watch Out messages alerting them to possible risks in the area.

Anyone interested in setting up a Neighbourhood Watch scheme can contact Vicki Singleton on 01543 464218.