TALK TO US' was the message from the new crop of community cops who were out on the beat in Furness this week.

The team of four officers who have just started patrolling their patches in Ulverston, Dalton-in-Furness and Askam-in-Furness, are looking to citizens to discuss their concerns over crime and anti-social behaviour.

A police roadshow was out today (Friday) in Ulverston to encourage people to come forward and will be roving elsewhere in Furness in the future.

The new PCs Debbie Murray, Nigel Tallontire, Dave Knott and Karen Harris - have each been assigned a ward to police with Sgt Geoff Booth of Dalton at the helm. It is part of Cumbria Constabulary's much-lauded Local Policing Team initiative to take policing back to the future and put bobbies back on the beat.

As a result of cutbacks blamed on poor government funding, only around 70 new officers have been assigned across the county to the initiative, not the 300 anticipated over the next four years. But even though only six out of the 12 officers originally earmarked for Furness will be assigned, Insp Dave Spedding, who heads operations in the peninsula, is confident the public will really notice a difference.

The four new designated officers would be left to deal with problems in their ward and would not be pulled off for other duties, he said.

"These officers will be going out and engaging with the communities in their wards. They will be linking very much with the schools. They will pulling together surgeries so we can get people to speak to us. If we have any persistent problems in a particular ward, they will be tasked to see how we can solve that. It's getting people to work with the police to cut crime and disorder."

PC Murray, who will be looking out for Ulverston North and East wards, said her priorities would be to tackle anti-social behaviour, youth disorder and to work closely with local schools. In Ulverston town centre, PC Tallontire is hoping to cut anti-social behaviour and the violence that routinely flairs after closing time, while PC Knott at Askam is dealing with cocklers and concerns about youth disorder.

l The police roadshow will be in Ulverston today (May 21) at - 9am to 10.30am: Junction of Dale Street, Kingsway; 11am to 12.30pm: The Gill; 2pm to 3.30pm outside Woolworths; 4pm to 5.30pm: outside Urswick Road Stores; 6pm to 7.30pm: Priory Road opposite Elmhurst Retirement Home; 8pm to 9.30pm: Outside Croftlands Community Centre.