BOBBIES have gone one step further than just pounding their beat -- they're surfing it as well!

A website has been set up by Blackburn's eight new community beat managers in an attempt to forge closer links with the public.

Initially, it will just cover Bank Top, but there are plans to extend it across the other areas of town in the next two months.

Residents will be able to read bulletins on the site informing them of safety advice, surgeries or even current crime trends in their area.

And the beat bobbies are setting up individual e-mail addresses to enable residents to pass on any concerns.

It is the first beat bobbies' website in Lancashire and is thought to be only the second in the country.

PC Paul Meads, one of the beat bobbies for Bank Top, Wensley Fold and Corporation Park, came up with the idea and even created the website with Emma Turner, a police community support officer.

The site is on Communigate, part of thisislancashire, the Lancashire Evening Telegraph's website.

Communigate is a free website building and hosting service for non-profit making organisations. There are more than 300 sites running on it.

PC Meads said: "It was really straight forward. We are not 'net-heads', so if we can do it, anyone can.

"We wanted to let people know what was going on and what we are doing. It will be easy to contact us, rather than phone messages getting lost.

"We want any sort of comments and to hear about anything they are worried about. They can also e-mail us with ideas and things they would like us to do in the area.

"People can not see us on the streets all the time, but they can go on the website and see what we have been doing."

PC Meads and CSO Turner created the site from their base in Bank Top Community Centre. Andy Taylor, community development officer at the centre and also a member of the local residents' association, said: "The website is very good. Several groups have said they are very pleased and people are happy that they have dedicated police officers for their area.

"The website is a great point of contact and I think it will help people feel safer if they know who to contact and where. The officers have done well and they are really approachable."

The website is www.communigate.co.uk/lancs/communitypolice