A FORMER gold miner from Zimbabwe will soon be policing the streets of Westbury.

Lukas Breedt, 53, will start work as the town's new police community support officer on May 1 and says he is relishing the challenge.

PCSOs are a Government initiative to assist regular officers by getting to know residents and providing a visible presence on the streets.

Mr Breedt, also a former Zimbabwean police officer, will be posted to anti-social behaviour trouble spots in Westbury and act as a first port of call for residents' concerns.

He said: "I have been patrolling with my tutors since April 1, but will be on my own from May 1.

"The first response I had was 'have you lost your car?' But when we explained what we were about I think people were happy to hear what we were doing.

"I think we are doing the sort of thing that police officers can't do."

Mr Breedt has three daughters and three granddaughters and lives with his wife in Warminster.

He was in the Rhodesian police force from 1969 to 1979 and mined for gold, chrome and white asbestos after Zimbabwe gained independence. He moved to Wiltshire 10 months ago, but did not have a specific career in mind.

He said: "The current situation in Zimbabwe is not very conducive to a good retirement.

"I just had my options open when I came over. I was working for Starline Taxis for a bit.

"I saw the job advertised in one of the papers, the Wiltshire Times I think, and it caught my imagination."

Mr Breedt's post has been jointly funded for two years by Westbury Town Council and Wiltshire Police Authority.

Unlike some other forces, Wiltshire PCSOs still only have the civilian power of arrest, but evidence from nearby towns suggests they are an effective deterrent against crime.

He said: "Some of the PCSOs, particularly the younger ones, are looking to become police officers so this is a good training ground for them as well."