A town centre bobby has been appointed in Cleckheaton to help stamp out problems of vandalism and minor crime.

Despite crime figures falling during the last year, PC Penny Ayres has been recruited as crime project manager.

House burglaries in Cleckheaton have fallen by 36 per cent over the last year - the biggest reduction in West Yorkshire - but she will take to the streets to help traders in their battle against crime.

The news was revealed to members of Spenborough's Chamber of Trade by Dewsbury Divisional Commander Superintendent Adam Briggs.

PC Ayres is already a part-time officer in Heckmondwike and Cleck-heaton but will now be taken off other duties and be committed to policing Cleckheaton.

Supt Briggs said: "Penny will be in charge of a project. For example, looking at crime in the town - is there a pattern around it? Is it being done by kids in their lunchtimes?

"If we have a project manager we can have a professional approach. Penny will try to tackle crime problems and will be solely responsible for it. She will spend a lot of time on the streets.

"This is a good time to do it because traders are fearful of robbery and Christmas crime."

He said robbery in the town had decreased by 18 per cent during the last year.

At the moment, the town is suffering a spate of shop window-smashing by vandals. Supt Briggs told the chamber: "As town centre traders you face a number of different problems such as louts on the streets on Friday and Saturday nights who smash shop windows.

"But a partnership is the key to a successful community and Cleckheaton is the kind of place where this will be successful because you have a sense of civic pride."

Keith Joplin, on behalf of the Chamber of Trade, said the traders were willing to buy PC Ayres a bike to patrol the Spen Valley Greenway if it would help her.

"We hope that Penny will be back in the town centre," he said. "The traders want to see a police presence as we know from experience that that deters crime. We want people to feel safe when they come to Cleckheaton. We don't have a particularly high crime rate but any crime is worrying."