CHILD sexual exploitation, drugs, domestic violence and cyber crime are at the top of the agenda to tackle in south Cumbria for the new crime commissioner.

Peter McCall was speaking yesterday  as he made his first official visit to Barrow in his new role.

He said he had thought he knew what to expect in the job but a few weeks in he realised it wasn't quite as he had anticipated.

Mr McCall visited the new Barrow police station and was given an official tour by the area's top police officer Superintendent Rob O'Connor.

He described it as a "brilliant facility" and vowed to make sure  Barrow and south Cumbria didn't feel neglected over the next four years of his term in office.

Mr McCall headed to Dalton Road to go on patrol with Supt O'Connor, a sergeant and police community support officers to get a good look at the town.

He said: "I vaguely know Barrow from attending the hustings. I have been to the police station today for a look around and it's a brilliant facility and I now have an understanding of how it is operating. 

"There were fears that moving the station out of the centre of Barrow would cause issues but that isn't the case at all and it's reassuring to know that. I have familiarised myself with the geography of the area and crimes differ between the towns and the rural areas, so it's very mixed.

"The things I want to look at tackling are the crimes that the rest of the UK is having issues with too.

"Domestic violence, child sexual exploitation and cyber crime. We also have a major problem around Barrow with drugs being brought into the area by dealers from cities and I aim to tackle that too.

"There's a lot of unseen crime  now online such as grooming and fraud, and we need to educate our parents and children about this because it is dangerous and pernicious.

"I came into this job thinking I knew what to expect but I didn't.

"I'm very conscious of the fact I'm based in the north of the county but I will make sure that Barrow and south Cumbria does not feel neglected."