Silsden Police Station could be re-opened with the help of volunteers.

Members of Steeton-with-Eastburn Parish Council joined their counterparts from Silsden, as well as local businessmen and anti-crime partnerships last Thursday to call for the re-opening.

Since the police station shut, concerns have frequently been raised about anti-social behaviour and rising crime in the area.

The idea to re-open the former police station with volunteers follows Haworth's decision to do the same.

PC Brian Woolard explained: "This is very much a community concept.

"Lots of people have ideas about how Silsden should be policed but we've got to put those to the back of our minds.

"We've got to accept that this is the way things are. We have to look at what we can realistically achieve and this is an additional resource to back up the police."

The role of the volunteers would not be that of the police and there would be a direct alarm link to Keighley Police in case of trouble.

Volunteers would take part in community safety projects, provide crime prevention advice, victim care, help desk support, telephone answering and public reception support.

The roles would depend on the skills on the volunteers and the idea is to house a number of key community agencies such as the job centre under the one roof.

"It's not just about having a police presence but it's also about working to solve some of the problems and the one way we can man it is through volunteers," added PC Woolard.

He explained: "Potentially we can base specials in here, and specials are absolutely brilliant - it's not policing on the cheap.

"But the volunteer scheme is a way of getting the station open and getting a little bit of confidence back in the police.

"It's not a police station - it's a community point. It's a matter of bringing all the information together and taking it back to the community, spreading information through word of mouth.

"The way forward is to involve everybody. There is only so much you can pay for - and people need to take some of the responsibility for themselves."

Chairman of the Business Watch in Silsden John Lohan said: "At the moment people feel like they're left on their own.

"If we could use the station as a stepping stone between the public and the police we can build that confidence again.

"If we can work together and get some action then that's where the community part of it will work."

Silsden councillor Paul Bromley said: "This could work. The community here is ready for it."

Representatives from Steeton- with-Eastburn Parish Council, who would also use the Silsden station, said they would discuss the idea further as well as gauging the response for volunteers.

PC Woolard told them: "You have got to get the volunteers and then get the commitment. The bare minimum you'd probably need is six but the more there are the better the service will be.

"Volunteers have to be over 16 and are sent an application form. Suitable volunteers then attend an interview to discuss the role."

Silsden mayor Lawrence Walton said: "We can give it a try to see how it works out. We've got to do something and this is a way of looking at different partnerships."