A NEW community support officer has been praised for his work in rural areas of Burnley by the town's MP.

Dave Johnson is one of five new police community support officers (PCSOs) who now work alongside the police in Burnley.

Peter Pike MP spent a day pounding the beat with Dave and was impressed by what he saw.

He said: "We started our patrol in Worsthorne and visited a lady who had been a victim of nuisance behaviour.

"We then pounded the beat to the Thornton Arms pub and ended up at Briercliffe Youth Club where we warmed up and had a cup a tea and chatted to the young people of Briercliffe."

As part of their role as the "eyes and ears of police", PCSOs can issue fixed penalty notices for incidents such as dog fouling and litter, confiscate alcohol and tobacco and seize vehicles and remove those which have been abandoned.

They can also enter property if lives are at risk or to prevent damage and can hold suspects for up to 30 minutes until a police officer arrives. In Burnley, for a trial period, they can also stop and search vehicles, maintain cordons and use reasonable force to detain in certain circumstances.

Superintendent Steve Hartley of Burnley Police said: "We're delighted at the response from residents. Although PSCO's have only been in their posts a matter of weeks we've had some encouraging feedback. We're also very pleased at how quickly they've got to grips with their role."

Mr Pike went on: "It's important MPs appreciate the excellent work being done.

"I was impressed at how quickly Dave established himself as a character of the area and someone who people could trust. I hope more funding becomes available to extend this initiative across a wider area."

During the visit Dave Johnson confiscated alcohol from youngsters in the Briercliffe area.

He is planning to hold monthly surgeries at Worsthorne Reading Rooms in the village square during the last week of every month. He will also visit the Ladies' Group meeting in February and meet with pensioners.