ALTRINCHAM area police are appealing to parents in Hale to join them in keeping their children safe and secure by becoming a special constable.

The appeal is one response to the concerns raised by more than 40 residents who voiced their worries about gangs of youths engaging in anti social behaviour in Hale village during the evening.

The issue dominated the open forum section of Altrincham Town Hall's first Neighbourhood Forum for people in the Altrincham, Bowdon, Hale Central and Hale Barns wards, on September 26.

Now - as Trafford's crime reduction partners look at various intervention and diversion tactics - volunteer special constables could act as a key deterrent says Area Insp Simon Wright.

He explained: "I would be really keen for people who have concerns about their neighbourhood to get involved and volunteer to become a special constable. I would expect people to be able to commit to at least four hours a week.

"Special constables provide us with a fantastic extra police resource to reassure communities and keep the local streets safe.

"As schools and colleges have recently returned to school, we have increased police patrols in and around these areas. However, if we had more special constables, then it would enable us to bolster our presence further.

"In particular, we are urging parents to volunteer to be special constables, as we believe that with their local knowledge, they could prove to be an invaluable asset."

He added: "There is still a lot of work to be done and one of the reasons behind the public meeting that took place, was to seek the views of local residents and to help identify other ways that we can address the anti-social behaviour problem in Hale. We will now look to take these comments and ideas on board and act on them where possible."

Hale Central Councillor Patricia Young, speaking after last week's meeting, said: "The people of Hale have put up with these regular disturbances for far too long.

"It is good to know that both Trafford council and Altrincham police are pro-actively listening to residents' concerns and will be tackling this issue as a top priority."

Anyone who wishes to find out more details about becoming a special constable in Trafford should contact Chris Williams on 0161 856 9158.