COUNCIL BUYS BICYCLES FOR LOCAL BOBBIES

Police in Romford will be able to patrol the town centre more effectively thanks to three new bicycles funded by Havering Council.

The Council provided £1,900 to buy the top-of-the-range bikes to the Romford Town Safer Neighbourhoods team.

The team now has five bicycles allowing officers to cover more ground, perform their duties quicker, be seen by more people and therefore provide greater reassurance to the community.

The bicycles are a cross between road bikes and mountain bikes to allow officers to tackle all terrain.

The funding is part of the joint Council and police Action Havering campaign to help reduce people’s fear of crime.

Cllr Peter Gardner, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, said:

"We work very closely with the police and are more than happy to support their efforts to fight crime and also reduce the fear of crime to keep Havering safe."

Sgt Michael Day, Romford Town Safer Neighbourhoods team, said:

"Thanks to Havering Council, we can now increase our presence on the ward, enabling us to respond quicker to resident’s needs".