POLICE have come up with an alternative to the traditional police station - parking in a lay-by.

In a bid to cut crime and increase their presence, a police car will frequently park up in a Guiseley side road.

Weetwood Police has announced one of their first three experimental 'park-up points' will be situated in the centre of the town, which has not had a police station for around 20 years.

Officers will regularly park in the lay-by while on duty on Aireborough, in a bid to scare off would-be criminals, and provide a point where members of the public can walk up and voice their concerns.

The nearest police base to the town is the Yeadon Library police office, which has officers present only on Friday and Saturday mornings. The nearest police stations to Guiseley are in Otley, or the divisional headquarters at Weetwood, Leeds.

The Guiseley park-up point will be on the A65 Otley Road, close to the Morrisons supermarket.

Chief Inspector Nick Bartrum, of Weetwood Police, said the division was introducing two lay-bys in Kirkstall and Meanwood as well as the Guiseley point.

He said: "Members of the public will be able to speak to them with any concerns, and it gives us a visible presence to members of the public."

He said the police officers would not be a permanent fixture at the lay-by, but would try to park there as often as possible between regular patrol duties.

The idea originally came from discussions with the Aireborough, Horsforth and Otley Police Community Forum.

Chief Insp Bartrum said: "There was concern about the visibility of police officers and the ability to contact them. It was suggested that we could look at places where there would be lots of members of the public about."

But the acting chairman of the police community forum, Margaret Atkinson, said members would have to wait and see if the schemewas a success. She said: "A police presence is always good. I think it is to be welcomed as a step in the right direction. People might just approach the police on the spur of the moment."

Mrs Atkinson said there had been a lot of opposition to the closure of the Guiseley police station, but it was said at the time many visitors to the station were simply asking the way to Harry Ramsden's restaurant.

The forum has since looked at a few ideas for a police point, including a police office - similar to the Yeadon Library office - at a public building in Guiseley.

Chief Insp Bartrum has agreed to report back on the success of the scheme to residents and councillors at future forum meetings.