AN emphasis on community policing and more bobbies on the street are just two of the aims outlined by the newly-installed operations manager at St Helens Police, Chief Inspector Robert Harvey.

Born and brought up in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Chief Insppector Harvey and his family later moved to Liverpool.

After initially training to be a teacher at the old C.F. Mott College in Prescot, the young Robert had a change of heart and signed up for the police in 1976.

Originally based in Eaton Road, West Derby as a community bobby, he also worked in drug operations before first being moved to St Helens as a sergeant in 1984. In 1990 he was moved back to police headquarters in Liverpool and he also spent three-and-half years in Southport.

The father-of-one, who lives with his family in Lancashire, told the Star: "I was delighted to be moved back to St Helens because I got to know the area very well during my time here in the 1980s.

"It is a town with its own identity within each community which is why having more officers out on the streets is so essential. This method has already proved very successful when put into practice and I hope to build on that in the future.