GAZETTE & HERALD: Calne Police are hoping that a new police community support officer will keep their results improving.

From April to June this year reported crime in Calne was down 17 per cent compared with the same period last year, which is the best result in the division.

Their detection level is also better, up to 29 per cent from 20 per cent and they also have the best response times in the division. They hit their target of ten minutes in the urban area and 20 minutes in the rural area 93.7 per cent of the time.

With the town's police now ranking third in the county they will also benefit from having a police community support officer who will act as a bobby on the beat.

Sergeant Nic Shorten said: "We have been performing consistently over the last few years so this is just a continuation of that."

Sergeant Shorten also said that, although the new police community support officer does not have all the powers of a normal police officer, it will benefit them by having someone in the town itself.

Former psychiatric nurse Gareth Milnes, from Devizes, is the new community support officer and has been doing the same job in Trowbridge for the last 15 months.

Town Clerk Ann Kingdon said that the town council are so happy with their current police community support officer that they hope to have a second in the future.

"The town council fully supports the provision of a PCSO because it puts uniformed personnel back on the street and this is shown by putting money towards the partnership funding with Corsham and Chippenham town council's and the Wiltshire Police Authority."