READERS have given their opinion after it was revealed that dedicated police officers are due to be deployed in a Furness town.

New rural officers will be stationed in Ulverston in a scheme bringing extra police to a number of areas in the county.

Cumbria Police said officers would come to Ulverston later this year.

The expansion, announced in March 2020, resulted in officers who would previously have been deployed from a large, area police station returning to being based out of the towns in which they patrol.

The initial two pilot areas were Ambleside and Windermere and Brampton and Longtown.

The rural officers are funded by Cumbria’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Peter McCall, through the increase in council tax and through the Government’s Operation Uplift, which saw Cumbria Constabulary recruit 51 extra officers in the first phase of the operation.

Mark Edwards said: "This is good news and I agree police embedded in the community can and does make a real difference, but I cannot help feeling that we have been here many times before and its always short terms. These initiatives are launched in a blaze of publicity but are not sustained."

Justin Quint said: "More police would be good, but better parenting and actual respect within communities would be just as welcome."

Barry Postlethwaite said: "Great idea, we could have police stations in places like Dalton, Millom, and maybe the odd officer in Askam, Broughton, Kirkby, Urswick, Bardsea, Lowick, The Green, etc."

Greg Rose said: "Crime needs to be higher, what's the point in more police?"

Ian Lumb said: "Before talking about 'extra' officers, a comparison between the current numbers and the establishment in 2010, before austerity started, would be useful."