CONCERNED residents are to find it easier to grill Bury's high-ranking police chiefs about crime.

However, the public will have fewer chances to quiz chief inspectors and more senior ranks following a revamp of the existing Police and Community Consultation Group (PCCG) meetings.

They will now be held every three months rather than once every two months. There will also be the opportunity for higher ranking officers to call special meetings if there is a special need or problem.

Councillor Stephen Murphy, who is the chairman of the Greater Manchester Police Authority, said: "We feel the time is right to streamline our public consultations and make it more relevant, with questions raised in advanced, and open and partly structured agendas. Every meeting will also be attended by a police superintendent or chief inspector. "We have always been at the forefront of police and community consultation work in the country. Greater Manchester was the first to introduce public consultation, the first to pioneer lay visits to detainees in police cells and the first to introduce youth forums in schools to ensure young people have a voice.

"We have therefore taken the decision after a great deal of thought and consultation at all levels, to move from our existing PCCG format to a more flexible system which will mean everyone gets an opportunity to feedback their concerns on policing."

For the first time the chairmen of the new groups will be elected after advertisements and be paid expenses.