A YOUNG entrepreneur is hoping to cut people's fear of crime by launching a private security company to patrol the streets of Penketh.

John Harrison, aged 23, has been canvassing opinion from the district's homeowners to provide uniformed patrols for a small weekly fee.

Despite reservations from the town's police, the former social worker is confident that the business will be a success and help reduce crime.

John said: "I've lived in Penketh all my life and realised that crime was on the increase and that a scheme like this could work.

"We are not trying to replace the police or act as vigilantes. What the security patrols would do is simply take notes of events or suspicious vehicles.

"They wouldn't be able to arrest people but what they would do is inform the police," he said.

John says surveys distributed to homes offering night-time patrols for £2.50-a-week per house has been greeted with a good response.

He's also hoping to work with the police and district home-watch co-ordinators as well as securing funding from the council.

The project could face difficulties if only a small number of houses do want added security when others in the street do not.

John added: "That is a problem and it would only work in a street where the majority of homes would be in the scheme otherwise it is not viable."

He plans to employ eight 'officers' with police or armed forces' backgrounds to reassure residents they are getting a genuine and honest service.

Now he hopes to see his first nightly patrol on the streets by mid-April but the police's Crime Prevention squad are wary of recommending the scheme to people.

Detective Constable Graham Hale said: "We have had phone calls from concerned residents who have seen the leaflets and are worried if the company is genuine.

"We as the police can not recommend it," he said.

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