WEB-WISE community bobby Paul Beckwith has launched his own website to help keep residents on his Huntington and New Earswick patch up-to-date with the latest crime trends.

Through the Evening Press Communigate service - part of our www.thisisyork.co.uk internet site where local groups can set up their own website for free - PC Beckwith has launched his BeatNews page.

Visitors to the site can see a profile of PC Beckwith, read separate crime information for both Huntington and New Earswick, and even leave comments in his guestbook.

PC Beckwith, who is one of York's new-style community officers dubbed "ward managers", said: "I thought it would be an innovative way of communicating with residents in the area.

"In the past it has taken time for information to filter out, but this can be updated regularly to keep people informed. If, for example, there is a spate of burglaries overnight, it can go straight on the site in the morning so people are aware."

Colleagues covering the city's other wards, from the community police team's new base at Clifford Street police station, York, could soon be following PC Beckwith's example by setting up their own sites.

His pages can be found by logging on to www.thisisyork.co.uk, going to Communigate, then Residents' Groups, then Local Agendas.

The community team is set to join forces with the city's crime-reduction outfit Safer York Partnership, which is moving from its offices in North Street to Clifford Street police station.

Uniting these officers with the partnership, which is responsible for shaping long-term anti-crime and disorder strategies, is aimed at providing a more rounded approach to tackling problems in city communities.

In co-ordination with the officers on the ground, the multi-agency body will draw up long-term plans to take on a range of crime and disorder issues.

Updated: 09:07 Friday, May 02, 2003