THE woman who had been tasked with making Swindon a safer place over the past three years is leaving Swindon Council for pastures new.

Miriam Minty has actually worked for the council for a total of 12 years, the last three of which she acted as the crime and disorder co-ordinator.

Her duties included liaising with a wide range of agencies including the police, probation service as well as community organisations, to set up crime reduction initiatives.

She will be leaving her post on September 27 to become the new head of the Crime Reduction Team at the Home Office for the South West Region.

Her new job will be based in Bristol but Miriam, who lives in West Swindon, is unsure whether she will move out of the town yet.

She said: "I will have to think twice before leaving Swindon. I think it is a nice place to live and quite a safe town too.

"I will be very sad to leave the borough. It's an excellent place to work and I have been well supported by all my colleagues and everyone I have worked with."

Before becoming the crime and disorder co-ordinator Miriam, 35, was the team leader for community development and before that was a community worker.

During her time at the council she claims to be proud of her involvement in many projects but two that stand out were the setting up and securing funding for the Shop Mobility scheme to enable disabled people to shop freely and setting up the Safer Swindon Shop in Havelock Street where people can get information on community safety issues and from Trading Standards.