RESIDENTS are demanding the return of a village bobby to rid their community of knife-wielding yobs and drug dealers.

People living in Worsthorne -- which has one of the lowest crime levels in Burnley -- claim problems have risen since their beat police officer went on sick leave last month and bosses failed to replace him.

The village is now being policed alongside Cliviger by its officer, PC Glenn Gray. Worsthorne Parish Council has written to Home Secretary David Blunkett, Burnley MP Peter Pike and local police chief for the Pennine Division, Chief Supt John Knowles, to demand the return of a bobby.

Councillors and residents say that since PC Ian Palmer went on sick leave, yobs have started hanging around the square, frightening elderly members of the village by displaying knives.

They also claim drugs are being sold to youngsters in the village centre. Parish council chairman Tony Lambert said: "Community beat officers are being provided all over Burnley but our village police officer has not been replaced since he went off work ill some time ago.

"Worsthorne is now being covered by the officer from Cliviger. We don't think this is enough and have written to the Home Secretary and others asking for our bobby back."

Coun Lambert, a former policeman, added: "It can be very intimidating in Worsthorne centre at night.

"A lot of yobs come into the village causing a nuisance because there is no one to stop them now.

" It has got so that a lot of people won't go into the village square after mid evening because of intimidation.

"What is happening in Worsthorne with the loss of the village officer is going against the trend of providing more community beat bobbies."

Inspector John Clucas said Chief Supt John Knowles was going to meet Coun Lambert and Coun Philip Walsh in the near future to discuss the situation.

He said: "We made a decision that the Cliviger and Worsthorne beats should be looked after by one officer."

Insp Clucas said PC Ian Palmer was no longer on operational duties because of medical grounds and was working out of Burnley police station.

He said: "That has caused concern at Worsthorne Parish Council and I have attended meetings to explain the situation.

"I have had to put community beat officers into urban Burnley and I have not been given any extra resources, so difficult decisions had to be made.

"I am aware of problems such as juvenile nuisance all over Burnley. Worsthorne is not a violent place compared to other areas.

"In fact compared to other areas it is like a little oasis. Figures show that locally it is the safest place to live -- it is responsible for 0.5 per cent of Burnley crime."

Twenty-six members of the Worsthorne Ladies Group celebrating their fourth birthday also called for the return of a village beat officer with a rousing chorus of: "We want our bobby back"

One commented: "It is intimidating when you walk through the village square at night. They don't even get out of the way to let you pass."

One of the group organisers Mavis Hitchen, a parish councillor, said: "It has been very good in the village recently. It could do with more policing.

Dennis Howard, owner of The Village Store, Church Square, said: "There are a lot of young people coming into the village from outside. There could be 50 to 60 of them which can be very intimidating especially for the elderly."