THE MERITS of CCTV and the new police community support officers were highlighted at the latest Dursley Inspector Neighbourhood Area Community Consultative meeting in Uley.

Insp Paul Donovan reported both innovations had made a positive impact. He said: "We now have a mobile CCTV camera that is used once we identify problem areas. It has already been successful in Berkeley and it is due to go over to Wotton-under-Edge next."

The camera has helped to reduce youth disorder in Berkeley and it is hoped similar problems will be stamped out in Wotton.

Insp Donovan was also keen to emphasise the recent progress made in Wotton thanks to the introduction of support officer Tracey Wren.

For a number of years residents had perceived a decline in the level of policing but they have welcomed the new introduction.

Added Insp Donovan: "What the public wanted to see in Wotton was officers on foot patrol but we just didn't have the resources to allow regular officers to do it.

"The PCSOs are there to work with the community so they can carry out foot patrols and from what we can gather the public absolutely love it."

Insp Donovan also commented on the controversial TETRA radio communication system the police now use, saying that the new radios had a much improved coverage area compared with the old system.

As the meeting was being held in Uley, Insp Donovan gave a brief rundown of policing issues in the village and concluded that, unsurprisingly, there was a very low crime rate.

However, he did point out shed and garage break-ins could be reduced with a little more care. He said: "People should secure their sheds. Even if you have nothing of value in there, it may contain something that could be used to force a door or window of your house."

Later in the meeting Sgt Chris Carver, from the helicopter unit at Filton, which is jointly used by the Gloucestershire and Avon and Somerset Police, gave a talk on how the unit works.

The £2.6 million Eurocopter is the most technically advanced helicopter in the world and is flown by ex-military pilots.

Sgt Carver said: "It can be used for managing a pursuit, missing person searches and evidence gathering. We can read number plates from 800ft and the thermal imaging camera allows us to search when we can't see people with a normal camera.

"Best of all, the helicopter does not need authorisation to fly. A bobby on the ground would call on it as easily as they would call on a dog-handler."

In public question time Dursley town councillor Jim Froggatt asked why the police council tax precept had gone up so much in recent years, especially compared with his own old age pension.

Police authority member and meeting chairman Cllr Stan Waddington explained: "A large part of last year's police precept was simply to make up for the shortfall in money given to us by the government."

Questions were also raised by Cllr Graham Wall on behalf of Alkington Parish Council regarding the problems caused by lorries parking off the A38 at Newport. Insp Donovan said as it was a traffic police matter he could not do anything directly but he would find out what was being done.

The next consultative meeting is in Sharpness Village Hall on Tuesday, September 7 (7.30pm).