POLICE patrolling the town's north east sector could soon be inviting councillors to join them on high-profile raids.

Officers from the Risley Community Action Team are keen to promote the idea to give councillors a better insight into policing in their respective districts.

Clr David Eccles, ward councillor for Birchwood East, was the first Town Hall member to be taken with officers as they carried out a drugs raid.

He said: "It was a successful operation and a good opportunity of seeing first-hand what the police do. If it's carefully planned and carried out with the right motivation, it's a positive and pro-active scheme. It gave me a valuable insight into the police.

"Councillors are sometimes intermediaries for the police. If people don't want to go down to the station, they talk to us."

But Sgt GrahaemeBirmingham, head of operations with the Risley CAT team, is endorsing the move, but stressed that it was still in its infancy and had not been implemented as 'policy'.

He said: "It enhances the feeling of safety within the community and demonstrates that the police are out there, actively targeting criminals. Councillors can pass on this information and tell constituents what we are doing."

Along with inviting councillors on operations, Community Support Officers - civilians with some police powers - are to be handed more general patrol duties, including manning the 'satellite' police stations, allowing police to reduce some of their time-consuming duties and respond more efficiently to crimes needing immediate attention.