A NEW police surgery to allow residents to air their grievances about crime has been launched in Horsforth.

The move means the public can now talk to Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) at Horsforth Neighbourhood Housing Office, on The Green, twice a month.

And it coincides with new crime figures for April to July this year which show a 25 per cent drop compared to the same period in 2003 - bucking the rising national trend.

Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator Neil Hunt welcomed both developments.

He said: "I think the surgeries, as a whole, will be a good thing as anything which allows people more contact with the police has to be.

"I do think, however, that they are likely to be more a forum for people to air grievances rather than to actually help gain an improvement in crime prevention or detection.

"But I don't want to knock this - it will be putting the police into the community and letting people have regular contact with them.

"It's a good idea and I would support having these type of surgeries across the city.

"As for the drop in crime, I don't know if that is directly linked to the new crime management unit we've had based at the police station since April but there must be some connection.

"Because that attracted a lot of publicity and the crooks will know we have police officers using the station again, very visibly, which is a massive deterrent."

Mr Hunt also praised the work being done by PCSOs in the town in tackling things like anti-social behaviour - something Sergeant Colin Haigh, head of the Community Policing Team, is also keen to stress.

Each surgery, which takes place on the first and third Wednesday of every month, will be attended by PCSOs Liam Ward and Rachel Jackson, with regular officers also dropping in occasionally.

Sgt Haigh said: "Crime is down 25 per cent here while it's going the other way nationally, and we're doing a lot of high visibility work which has a massive deterrent factor and helps public confidence.

"But a lot of credit has to go to the PCSOs, too, who are working brilliantly as another pair of eyes and ears for us.

"The surgeries will allow people to actually go and speak to Rachel and Liam face to face, which a lot of people prefer to do, about community, anti-social or housing matters, which should be able to be dealt with there using a cross-agency approach."

The positive policing news for Horsforth could be set to continue in August when two more dedicated PCSOs are due to start patrolling.

They will be paid for by funding from the town council, ward councillors, now-defunct Horsforth and Cookridge CIT and the police.

Councillor Andy Barker (Lib Dem, Horsforth) said he was delighted with the way things were shaping up.

"I think the police need to have contact with the public to get information from them," he said, "and the public need to be able to talk to the police, so these surgeries are very welcome.

"And the crime statistics are very encouraging. I don't think you can put them down to any one thing but the new unit here has to be part of it, as does the work of our PCSOs."

Those views were echoed by fellow Liberal Democrat Councillor and Leeds Lord Mayor Chris Townsley.

He said: "I have always said it was a mistake for us to lose our community police forum, so we've got to welcome anything which enables people to come to the police and air their views.

"The crime figures sound very hopeful and I'd like to think it's because we have more of a police presence now, both from the vehicles going in and out of the station and from our PCSOs, who are doing a fantastic job."

l Anyone who needs to report a non-urgent community crime issue can now leave details on a 24 hour police answer-phone service, (0113) 239 5024. Each call will be followed up by a PCSO.