A drop-in centre for people to discuss crime issues with a policeman is to be set up in Liversedge.

The idea was proposed at a meeting for concerned residents on the Windybank estate, and was attended by Chief Superintendent John Cocliffe, Dewsbury's divisional commander.

At a second meeting, Angela O'Brien, head-teacher at RM Grylls School, in Hightown, Liversedge, said: "There is a minority of young people on the estate who we are not happy with, who the school get complaints about and who are sometimes being influenced by older children."

The group wanted to see a full-time constable on the beat, but Ch Supt Cocliffe said resources would not allow that.

One resident said old people on Windybank locked their doors at 3pm and closed their curtains in the hope that children would think they were out, and many of them were too frightened to ring the police for fear of reprisals.

Another resident put forward the idea of a police telephone line - similar to NHS Direct - through which people could ring in non-emergency situations for advice from a professional.

Ch Supt Cocliffe agreed to a pilot drop-in scheme, whereby a police officer would be present in the community centre in Central Avenue for two hours each week, to listen to residents' problems.

He stressed that a multi-agency approach was needed and representatives from Kirklees Housing department and Community Development Services would also be approached to attend.

"It would be a good idea and is a two-way process," he said. "We get the intelligence from people who don't want to ring in and it doesn't commit a permanent resource which I don't have at the moment."

He also said that by the end of the summer a team of officers would be specially set up to deal specifically with reports of nuisance crime across the district.

Future meetings of the group will see a representative from Neighbourhood Watch attending and someone from the Youth Offending Team.