Released prisoners will be given a welcome call on their return home - by a police officer.

The new scheme has been set up in the Eccleshill division of Bradford and a police chief said today he hopes it will help criminals go straight.

Superintendent David Collins, divisional commander at Eccleshill police station, said: "We know exactly who these people are and when they are going to be released from prison.

"We will be welcoming them home, to make them aware we know they are out of prison.

"We will offer them help and support, giving them the chance to go straight."

The scheme is a partnership with other agencies, including Bradford Council and the West Yorkshire Probation Service.

The released prisoners will receive an information pack which contains telephone numbers of people who they can get support from.

Supt Collins said: "When people are released from prison, it is easy for them to start associating themselves with those they met before going to prison - with the danger that they might fall back into the same lifestyle.

"The biggest challenge we have is in persuading these people not to return to a life of crime.

"The information pack will give contact numbers where meaningful support is available.

"Another problem we have is that we deal with one generation of criminals, but there is always another generation coming up behind them.

"That's why we are working closely with schools in an effort to cut down juvenile crime."

Supt Collins said: "We have had a successful 12 months. There has been a 52 per cent reduction in burglaries, a 14 per cent reduction in car crime and we have arrested nine per cent more drug dealers."

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