A new Keighley police team put their problem solving policing into practice when they won the support of Oxenhope villagers concerned about the loss of their village bobby.

The POP - Problem-Orientated Policing - teams have being coming under attack from rural residents because they have robbed local villagers of their traditional beat bobbies.

PC Brian Woollard and Special Constable Richard Bartlett bravely confronted angry villagers at a meeting of Oxenhope Parish Council, where they successfully convinced people of the substantial benefits of the new POP policing system.

The team, which is based in Bingley, intends to patrol and combat village crime in a more effective way with the help of their fellow POP team members.

PC Woollard, who worked in the Haworth district for some years, said: "Our aim as a team is to try and give a better service. It was lovely to have a police officer in every village, but the money is not there.

"A lot of calls involve domestic and anti-social behaviour. In the past we have dealt with the symptom and not the problem, but now we intend to solve the problem, like kids drinking too much.

"The youths involved have nothing better to do. The majority are good kids and it is our job to try and find them something else to do.

The service Oxenhope has become used to will improve under this new system, now there's not just one person but a whole team interested in it, you did not get that coverage a few months ago."

The POP team has a car covering the area of Haworth, Oxenhope and Oakworth 24 hours a day.

The police intend to liaise with council officers so that anti-social behaviour orders can be placed on problem children. They will send out enforcement letters and follow them up with court orders if the child continues causing problems.

Chairman of the Parish Council Derek Allen said: "I think this is something we need very much in the village and we have to give it time to develop. We certainly welcome this approach."

Some councillors were happier than on other occasions with the explanation provided by the police.

Vice-chairman Chris Brown said: "I am more than happy to see this, as are the organisation. I came here quite sceptical and I am quite impressed. The village bobby system had its faults. We want to be certain that we do have a response to our 999 calls.

"I want someone to address the problems that have been unaddressed. It seems to me to be a fully robust system."

Other villages such as Haworth have also expressed outrage at the removal of the village bobbies, and have made claims that crime in their areas has increased as a result.

The police have suggested that volunteers wishing to join their 'Special' policing force will be trained and given a uniform and can patrol their villages when they get the chance.

Anyone interested in becoming a 'Special' should contact PC John Heald on 01535 617059.