Support officers on their bikes to help beat crime

Officers will use six new mountain bikes to scoot around Kimberworth Park, Wingfield and Keppel, without waiting for squad cars to pick them up.

The community support officers will also get two head-cams as part of the package to collect evidence to use in court.

It is hoped the two-wheeled approach will be quicker than responding on foot or waiting for a patrol car - and gives officers a better chance of catching fleeing criminals.

Money for the project came from the Neigh-bourhood Renewal Fund.

A Rotherham Council spokeswoman said: "This will enable officers to give better cover to the Wingfield, Keppel and Rotherham West areas.

"It is hoped that the bikes will help shorten response times to incidents by being faster than officers on foot and giving easier access to built-up areas, particularly those that have a high incidence of crime."

Two support officers will also be trained as cycling instructors so that they can eventually run cycling proficiency and maintenance courses for youngsters.