THE make-up of policing in Craven is set to change from next week with more emphasis on bobbies on the beat.

Government-spearheaded neighbourhood policing teams will be launched in North Yorkshire next Thursday.

The teams will comprise police officers, police community support officers (PCSOs) and special constables.

They will exist to improve the quality of life in communities, including combating anti-social behaviour. Particular duties will include visiting victims of burglaries and domestic violence.

The teams will also engage with communities to gather information, views and concerns and work with partner agencies to find long-term solutions to problems.

In Skipton, three beat officers have already been introduced to cover the town.

Joining them will be officers on the beat in Grassington, Cross Hills, Settle and Ingleton.

The new posts have been filled by existing officers in Craven. However, in time, the posts will be taken over by officers from elsewhere.

In addition to the officers, two new PCSOs have been introduced - one for Settle and Ingleton and another to cover Cross Hills and Grassington. Four support officers already exist in Skipton.

The teams will report to sergeants in the districts and a further sergeant will also be employed by the force to help support the teams.

Craven's police commander Chief Insp Chris Chelton said: "Concerns over taking officers from the reactive section impacting on the number of officers available to cover, for example in the early hours of the morning, will be addressed.

"Communities will be provided with 24/7 policing outside of Skipton and officers from Skipton town or road traffic department or any other area will maintain that cover.

"The force is committed to making neighbourhood policing work by being more visible and accessible, but the same reactive level will be running alongside it."

North Yorkshire's chief constable Della Cannings added: "For the past two years the performance of the force has shown significant improvement, with crime falling and detection rates increasing.

"While maintaining this level of improvement, we now have the opportunity to enhance the quality of the service we are providing. These new neighbourhood policing teams will be key to that continued success.

"Working in partnership with other agencies and our local communities has been the cornerstone of policing in North Yorkshire. Having readily indentifiable neighbourhood policing teams means we can develop closer links with the public we serve."

The teams can be contacted via the force's non-emergency telephone number, 0845 6060247. Soon the force's website - www.northyorkshire.police.uk - will allow residents to identify their local team via a postcode search.