TWO new Sergeants are settling in at Devizes Borough Police Station after transferring from Surrey Police.

Dave Bonner-Smith and Guy Williams worked with each other when Sgt Bonner-Smith was a training officer, and Sgt Williams went through his detective training programme.

PC Williams, 32, transferred to Wiltshire a year ago and worked in Salisbury, the city where he spent his boyhood years.

In March this year he was promoted to sergeant and moved to Devizes.

Sgt Williams, who is married with a young son, said he has been pleased by the response he has received from people.

He said: "One of the main things that stands out for me in Devizes is the friendliness of the people and the community atmosphere.

"I have been on patrol where members of the public have approached me to say hello because I was not familiar to them. I think it is good that the public know their local police and are keen to help us and allow us to assist them."

Sgt Williams' interests include motorcycling, badminton, jogging and snooker. He has previously cycled from John O'Groats to Lands End for Cancer Research.

Sgt Bonner-Smith transferred to Wiltshire for a better quality of life.

He had found the cost of living and housing in the south east too high.

He has been a police officer for 21 years and before transferring to Wiltshire he attained the national police qualifications and a certificate in education.

He has found himself coping with more paperwork in Wiltshire, and says Surrey Police had more computerised systems.

"The police officers at Devizes are sometimes working under a lot of pressure with the number of incidents, and having to provide a 24-hour service to the community, often with minimum staffing levels," he said. "But they are keen, professional, enthusiastic and a pleasure to work with."

l Beat officers at Devizes Police Station will soon be using two mountain bikes on their shifts.

Inspector Pete Bowerbank was given permission to test one of the bikes on a recent charity cycle ride, which he undertook with Wiltshire paramedics from Padstow to Devizes.

He said: "The bikes are very good. They are available for officers to use on their beats.

"The idea is to use them in Devizes and in the surrounding villages."