WEST Mercia's chief constable has praised Bromsgrove police officers after a visit to the town.

Paul West spent last Wednesday in Rubery and Bromsgrove taking a closer look at local policing and he even went out on the beat.

The top cop started the day with a visit to Waseley Hills High School with beat manager PC Jayne Willetts and community support officer Becky Skinner.

He met the headteacher and also 15-year-old pupil Nic Parkes, who has set up a village website.

Mr West then went into Rubery village centre where he talked to John Horwood, owner of Mica Hardwares, about the Shopwatch scheme. This scheme allows shop staff to communicate with each other via radio.

Pounding the beat in the Charford area was next on the agenda, followed by a tour of the Multi Agency Resource Centre, where regular beat surgeries are held.

Beat manager PC Michelle Caldicott and CSO Pip Davis then took Mr West to RZ Stores, in Austin Road. There Mr West chatted to staff and residents about how the police, working with organisations such as the local housing association, tackle anti-social behaviour and the improvements this has made to the estate.

During the day he also visited nearby Charford First School and the site of a new police post in Buntsford Park.

After the visit Mr West said: "It was a fantastic day and I have learned about some of the excellent work which is going on on the ground.

"It's great to see some of the local initiatives being carried out in the community, many in partnership with other agencies, which are making a big difference to people's quality of life."

He added: "The quality of staff in north Worcestershire, in particular the beat managers and new CSOs, is superb. While still relatively new to the Bromsgrove area, CSOs are now very much part of the West Mercia policing family."

sarah.mawhinney@midlands.

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