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Three new Community Support Officers have received a warm welcome since they started patrolling the streets of Haverhill.

Claire Fuller, Keith Dowle and Andy Pulley are among 11 new officers to take up the role in support of police officers across West Suffolk, after completing an intensive 10 week training programme.

Keith, 29 of Bury St Edmunds, previously worked as a support officer in braintree. He has a total of 13 years police experience in various roles, including as a uniformed officer, but says his current role is the best.

"I love it". he said. "This is what I thought policing would be, getting out on foot patrol, the nicer side of policing. It is about tackling anti-social behaviour and preventing criminal activity. We do have the power to arrest people, but we would rather deal with problems in other ways. We offer a visible presence to reassure the public and we can tackle some of the less serious issues."

Andy, 25, of Royston, has previously worked in security and as a police officer.

He said, "We are there for the community and they can speak to us without the force uniform and open up more about the issues facing them."

Claire, 22, previously worked in the court services office. "I wanted a more active role so it was ideal for me." she said.

Keith will patrol the Chalkstone estate, claire is in the town centre, Parkway and Chimswell estates, and Andy on the Clements Estate.

The support officers can be contacted either out on patrol or through Haverhill Police.