THE disclosure today that 35 new police officers are being placed on community beats in East Lancashire will be welcomed by all law-abiding citizens.

For this is what the public wants and regards as a far much effective crime deterrent than car-borne policing, which they consider reacts more to offences that have already been committed than prevents them in the first place.

There has, however, been a price to pay for this -- as every householder hit by council tax bills up by around 10 per cent across the region is aware. Their contribution to policing costs has gone up by 19 per cent or an extra 27p a week.

But if the result is less crime, few will complain for long. And this announcement, coming on top of a review in East Lancashire of police stations that are not continuously manned, is a welcome response to what the public has been saying for years -- as is the disclosure that officers employed as community beat managers will stay in the role for a significant period of time.

For these moves will give us bobbies who know their patch and its residents. In turn, through growing familiarity with the communities they serve, they will get increasing help from the public in the fight against crime. It might be 'old fashioned,' but people believe it works.