CRIMINALS in Bewdley have a new enemy following the start of a revamped Neighbourhood Watch scheme in the town.

The launch of Bewdley and District Neighbourhood Watch marks the completion of a shake-up of Wyre Forest crime-fighting following the creation of a new committee a year ago.

Wyre Forest and District Neighbourhood Watch Association chairman Sue Savidge is optimistic the methods of the new committee, which took over with the aim of "breathing new life" into the organisation following the resignation of the existing group, will yield success. Luke Caldwell, PC Nigel Barter, Bewdley mayor Frank Baillie and Sue Savidge at the launch of Bewdley and District Neighbourhood Watch.

She said: "If we really care about our neighbourhoods, stick to our slogan Crime Cannot Flourish in a Community That Cares and work closely - both together and with the police - our neighbourhoods will become much stronger and, therefore, safer."

Mrs Savidge has pioneered a range of innovative schemes in "prototype" Churchill and Blakedown including residents' mobile patrols, datalink and providing isolated homes with Ordnance Survey grid references.

The district association has been structured into Wyre Forest East and West, Kidderminster East and West, Stourport and now Bewdley, with the aim of spreading these methods.

Mrs Savidge said: "With the help of the Wyre Forest and District Neighbourhood Watch Committee, support from West Mercia Police and the Wyre Forest Community Safety Partnership, we have now completed the restructuring of our organisation.

"With each executive link co-ordinator working at a local level with police beat managers, Neighbourhood Watch will work more efficiently."

Luke Caldwell has taken up the reigns as executive link co-ordinator for Bewdley and will work with the town's beat manager PC Nigel Barter on a daily basis to ensure intelligence is passed through the organisation network.

Mrs Savidge said about 1,000 members across Wyre Forest are on an e-mail mailing list and are supplied with regular messages from the police, information and warnings about scams.

She added: "The problems we have with crime and vandalism are particularly worrying for the elderly and vulnerable people in our society - and they are usually the very people who can't help themselves.

"So it is for the rest of us to stand up and be counted, to reassure those people that someone cares and is keeping an eye open for them."