THE new head of Todmorden police force has pledged that there will be no reductions of "bobbies on the beat" and says that Calderdale is in the middle of a recruitment drive.

Chief Inspector David Booth will be the first officer to have particular responsibility for Todmorden and Hebden Bridge, and he welcomed the change in role.

He said: "It means I will have more opportunity to get to know the problems of the area and how best to tackle them.

"We are very fortunate that most police officers, once they have been given a role in Todmorden tend to stay in the town, and that can only be a good thing for helping local knowledge."

Inspector Booth, who takes over at Todmorden following the move of Chief Inspector Chris Long to Halifax, is no stranger to the area, having served in the Halifax district since 1991, starting off as a constable in his home town of Huddersfield.

He said he was delighted that the Force was now recruiting and that he would have four or five sergeants and upwards of 30 constables under his command. Chief Insp Booth said he was looking forward to the new structure of policing in the area and said he believed it would prove to be more efficient.

And his views were echoed by the divisional commander, Chief Superintendent Nigel Sutcliffe, who said the public of Todmorden had no cause to fear that their area was being sucked into Halifax.

Said Chief Supt Sutcliffe: "This amalgamation was very much an internal process and people will not see our response times drop in any way. I want the policing in Calderdale to improve."