THE scale of Cheshire Police's switch of Neighbourhood Policing is revealed in the annual statement of accounts.

Millions of pounds more is being spent on public reassurance and preventing crime.

The force spent much of the financial year making its change from reactive policing' to trying to establish close links with ordinary people.

Last year the force spent £25m less on investigating crime, mainly due to a change in officers' working partners.

Police were increasingly put into Community Action Teams (CATs) to try to come up with long-term crime solutions - which meant £36m more was spent on reducing crime, promoting public safety and assisting the public.

The drive to connect with ordinary people is also revealed by the expenditure on publicity and newsletters.

The force spends £10,200 on CAT newsletters, £95,343 on statutory newsletters for the public and £44,500 on the in-house newspaper Catalyst.