A COMMUNITY-spirited councillor is picking up the baton for the police in Wordsley as the force gears up to reduce PCSO numbers as it strives to make £130million of savings over the next five years.

Dynamic councillor Derrick Hemingsley has assembled a team of community volunteers to form Street Watch which aims to patrol the streets to help keep anti-social behaviour at bay in Wordsley should the village's PCSOs be removed from the beat entirely amid austerity measures.

The team of six have been kitted out with bright yellow vests, bearing the West Midlands Police logo, for their patrols which will also include litter picking duties and which Cllr Hemingsley, chairman of the Friends of Wordsley's King George V Park, says are "the way forward for policing".

He told the News: "This is going to be the future I'm afraid. We'll be tidying and patrolling for anti-social behaviour as the PCSOs are going to disappear soon.

"I've already got a team set up in Wordsley. They patrol the park on Saturday morning and Wordsley Green.

"We're also looking to set one up on High Acres in Kingswinford as there's been a lot of graffiti.

"We've got the full backing of Chief Superintendent Chris Johnson and there's a similar group running in Dudley but I've got the biggest group so far and ours is going to be a guinea pig."

He added: "All the team have to go through an hour with the local sergeant about the responsibility. The local residents are really excited about it."

Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for West Midlands Police, Yvonne Mosquito, said: "The review into PCSOs is on-going and at this stage we don’t have confirmed figures of how many PCSOs we will need to reduce to. As soon as we have firm details on exact numbers we will let the public know."

She stressed Street Watch "isn't about policing on the cheap, far from it" and said: "Getting the public involved in setting their local policing priorities and enabling them to be more active citizens in their communities is something we would be doing without austerity."

Meanwhile Chief Supt Johnson of Dudley Local Policing Unit has thanked Cllr Hemingsley and the team, which also comprises fellow Wordsley Councillor Paul Brothwood, for getting the initiative started.

And he said there's "nothing better than local people tackling local issues, making a difference".

A meeting for anyone interested in getting involved with the High Acres Street Watch scheme is to be held at the High Acres pub at 6.30pm tonight (Wednesday).

Superintendent Richard Fisher, of Dudley Local Policing Unit, said: "This is what we should have been doing a long time ago. Street Watch is really an extension of Neighbourhood Watch. They're not a replacement to policing but these schemes are a fantastic opportunity for communities to feel empowered to become involved in maintaining the activities of their area."

Street Watch follows the success of Cllr Hemingsley's popular Speed Watch initiative which has been clocking speeding motorists outside village schools.

He is also setting up a Safe Haven for Children scheme in Wordsley to offer schoolchildren a sanctuary if they feel threatened or bullied.

Cllr Hemingsley, a governor at Belle Vue Primary School, said: "If a child feels vulnerable and is being bullied we have a Safe Haven for them to go to - the Spa shops at Wordsley Green and Lawnswood Road and Tesco at High Acres in Bromley Lane are on board."

Anyone interested in getting involved with the new High Acres Street Watch initiative but unable to attend tonight's meeting can contact Cllr Heminsgley on 07771 977746.