NEW-STYLE community police officers will be on the beat in York from next April, the Evening Press can reveal today.

In a major overhaul of the city's policing system, "high visibility" policemen and women will be given their own regular "patch" to patrol on foot.

The aim is to cut crime, yobbish behaviour and vandalism by officers forging closer relationships with residents, who will get to know their local bobby by sight and by name.

The shift patterns of the new community police officers will also be designed to address local needs and problems.

The return to "old-fashioned" policing was given the green light this week by North Yorkshire's new chief constable, Della Cannings. York police chiefs also plan to seek Government funding for community wardens, who have played a key role in providing extra uniformed presence in other areas of Yorkshire.

Supt John Lacy, of York police, said they were responding to a clarion call from parish councils and residents' associations.

They all wanted named constables on local beats, who could be readily identified, and not just team policing as at present.

Supt Lacy said: "We have a good relationship with residents but we now want to go one step further.

"We will still have officers responding to 999 calls, but underneath that we will now have community-style policing.

"We would love to return to bobbies living in villages, but funding doesn't allow us to do that, so this is the next best thing."

Central Area Commander Chief Supt Gary Barnett said: "These officers will be dedicated to community work and will not be pulled off to deal with other matters.

"In York, it will be mainly ward-based and we will probably combine the work of the police officer where two or three wards are combined.

"Local people can get to know the name and the face of their local bobby and improve our intelligence about criminals. We also support the introduction of community wardens because they give us extra eyes and ears."

Chief Supt Barnett said they were already seeking the views of officers on the ground on the new system before introducing it next April.

Updated: 11:39 Monday, December 23, 2002