MELTON bobby Mark Thompson is keeping fit and meeting more villagers after the parish council bought him a bicycle.The council wanted to help Pc Thompson, 50, when he was appointed the community beat officer while he covers Melton, Bredfield, Hasketon, Boulge, Burgh, Debach, Dallinghoo, Charsfield, Cretingham, Monewden and Hoo.
MELTON bobby Mark Thompson is keeping fit and meeting more villagers after the parish council bought him a bicycle.
The council wanted to help Pc Thompson, 50, when he was appointed the community beat officer while he covers Melton, Bredfield, Hasketon, Boulge, Burgh, Debach, Dallinghoo, Charsfield, Cretingham, Monewden and Hoo.
Pc Thompson said: ''This means I can get quickly from one part of my area to another, and it frees up a vehicle at the police station which could be better used by another officer.
''I am now readily accessible to members of the public and I can stop and talk to them which you could not do while in a car. There has been a very favourable response especially among the older ones who remember when policemen went around on a bike.''
Graham Laight, council chairman, said: ''We are very pleased to see the extra police presence on the streets. We said was there anything we could do to help to increase the police presence in the village and we wanted an opportunity where we could contribute effectively.''
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