THE doors of Middlewich Police Station are to be kept open regularly to step up the fight against crime in the town.

The station will be manned on a set day each week to encourage families to play a greater role in the clampdown on lawbreakers.

And the move has been hailed as a major step forward by headteachers at vandalism-hit schools in the town.

The rural police station in Queen Street, which normally lies empty when police officers are on patrol, will open next Monday, February 23.

A retired police officer has been employed by Congleton and Vale Royal Police Division to man the station's inquiries desk from 9.30am to 3.30pm.

The initiative is designed to reassure residents in the town of a continued police presence and to persuade them to come forward to report criminal activity.

Inspector Kevin Lunn, of the recently formed Congleton and Vale Royal Police Division, which covers Middlewich, said: "It is already a manned police station to the extent that 24 hours a day there are officers operating from the police station but for a number of years we have not had a desk man there.

"The reason for this is the number of complaints doesn't justify the expense of having a police officer.

"On saying that, there is obviously a demand to open the doors, from both families in Middlewich and the town council.

"It is for this reason that we have decided to employ a retired officer to man the station one day a week.

"If someone wants to have a chat about youth trouble, vandalism or any other problem they can now talk to somebody face to face at the station.

"If the initiative is a success we will certainly consider increasing the manpower at Middlewich but it depends on the demand."

The news has been welcomed by Middlewich Junior School headteacher Peter Boyer and infants school headteacher Elizabeth Hughes, who have been campaigning to increase police presence in the town following a spate of destructive blazes carried out by arsonists - all within yards of the police station.

In the latest incident, vandals placed rubbish outside a mobile classroom at Middlewich Infants School and set fire to it.

Since November a school, garden sheds and a workshop were also attacked close to the station causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage.

Now, after pressing police to step up patrols, Mr Boyer is pleased that action has at last been taken.

He said: "I was involved in campaigning some time ago to step up patrols and so I'm pleased something has been done.

"Anything that is effective in reducing crime in the vicinity is to be welcomed."

Mrs Hughes added: "This is great for the town. I would hope this police presence will be a deterrent to criminals."

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