HARD on the heels of adopting the Internet to track down offenders, Lancashire's pioneering police force once again arms itself with more up-to-date information technology to combat criminals -- this time, exploiting e-mail together with Neighbourhood Watch scheme to form what is being hailed as the world's largest crime-fighting community.

Run in association with computer giant Amstrad, the project, being launched in Blackburn this month and set to be fast extended nationwide, will link the Neighbourhood Watches and the police by new e-mailing machines.

This will provide a rapid two-way flow of information, enabling Watch leaders to alert police to crimes and suspicious incidents in their areas and for the force to send warnings and advice to them.

The essence of the scheme, set to be unveiled in Blackburn in two weeks by Home Secretary and Amstrad chief Sir Alan Sugar, is better communication between the police and public.

Strong links with the community and feedback from it have always been crucial to police efforts to combat and deter crime and the huge e-mail network that is about to spread from East Lancashire will massively increase and strengthen this vital bond.

Furthermore, at a time when there is ever-increasing pressure on police resources and a strong feeling among the public that a greater police presence should be felt in the community -- as evidenced by a government survey only this week showing huge dissatisfaction on this score -- this scheme should also forge a greater sense of closeness between the police and the people.

The step also comes just as Lancashire police have set out to improve community links also by stationing officers in council offices to increase the feedback of information vital to the fight against crime in our neighbourhoods and the new e-mail network will add even more to that effort.

But one factor in the entire project is crucial to its success -- willing Neighbourhood Watch volunteers to man the community's part of the system. This scheme shows new and stronger commitment by the police and government to our Neighbourhood Watches and, by return, it demands the same from the community.