TISBURY has been chosen as one of three police stations across the county to have a pilot Police Information Point from the New Year.

Volunteers will man an information point at the town’s police station on a part time basis as part of a scheme that aims to give rural people more opportunity to find out about the range of services offered by the police.

The scheme, which also included Highworth and Wootton Bassett, will also include a fourth Police Information Point at Corsham Police Station once additional volunteers have been recruited.

If the pilot proves successful, the force hopes to extend Police Information Points into other areas.

Volunteers who are staffing the Police Information Points will be able to direct people to local services.

They can also issue police forms to the public and make appointments for visitors to speak to their neighbourhood officers. The volunteers can also receive and record lost and found property.

Some services such as taking reports of crime, dealing with people reporting on bail, road traffic collisions and checking vehicle documents, will still need to be dealt with at the police inquiry office in Salisbury.

Each of the new Police Information Points will display a full list of services that are available to the public and information will also be posted on the Wiltshire Police website.

The information points are additional to the police and council information points that already exist at 31 libraries and other locations across Swindon and Wiltshire.

Wiltshire Police Chief Constable Brian Moore said: “People from our communities who volunteer their help to the police are helping us to open these Police Information Points for the benefit of those living in more isolated areas.

“This is exactly the sort of working partnership between the police and the public that I am very keen to encourage.

“It gives more people access to the police and I trust this pilot will be successful so that we can coax further volunteers to be part of our policing effort and to help staff more police information points in the future.”