THE Government has revealed how it plans to set up neighbourhood policing across the UK - but it is already up and running in West Yorkshire.

Community beat officers and police community support officers - known as PCSOs - have been given their own areas to look after.

These are split into the Kirklees Council wards.

Area committees - some including three wards - are being set up and will meet once every two months.

These will be public meetings where people can air their crime concerns.

Police and council officials will be given specific tasks to do, such as sorting out yobs, moving burned-out cars or dealing with graffiti. They must report back to the following meeting with the results.

West Yorkshire Deputy Chief Constable Phill Brear said: "Neighbourhood policing is really about one thing - getting more of our officers and staff closer to the people they police and protect.

"We have been provided with record numbers of officers and staff by the county's police authority and we are making sure they deliver the kind of policing that works - more staff, working with partners, getting to the heart of local problems and solving them."

He added: "West Yorkshire Police are also making the most of new technology, which helps make officers more efficient and effective.

"The new secure hand-held computer terminals enable officers to check people or vehicles on the Police National Computer.

"This frees more time for visible policing and reduces the work involved processing the information in the back office."