CHIEF Constable Peter Fahy patrolled the town centre on Friday morning.

He regularly goes out on patrol with ordinary officers from Cheshire Police and has been known to make arrests.

He usually keeps visits low-profile but the Warrington Guardian spotted him striding through the rain with town centre CSO Tom Baker.

He said: "I mainly go out in the night-time but it was good to walk round with CSOs.

"Quite a number of issues were raised. There's a problem with people with a drug habit coming into Warrington town centre and trying to feed their drug habit through crime.

"They steal items like coffee and meat and sell them in pubs. The message is people should be careful because they may think of the bargain, when they are actually supporting the drugs market and the market for stolen goods."

He said CSOs play a very valuable role' and added: "We've had a good response from Warrington Borough Council and the parish council on funding them.

"Hopefully more than 100 will be coming to Cheshire over the next 12 months."

He said police and shopkeepers were working well together with shop link radio but added: "There were one or two outlets who haven't benefited from the scheme."

Chf Con Fahy also met officers at Warrington station to discuss policing the town at night and Operation Crackdown, the force's recent high profile series of drugs raids.