'Beach bobbies' to start patrols

The PCSOs will start their "beach beat" on Thursday (picture Dorset Police)

A section of Dorset beach will be patrolled during the summer by two Police Community Support Officers (PCSO) trained as lifeguards.

The new "beach bobbies", who are employed by Dorset Police and trained by the RNLI, will patrol the sands either side of Bournemouth Pier.

They will provide a uniformed presence from Thursday throughout the busy holiday period until September.

It follows a successful pilot scheme by Devon and Cornwall Police last year.

The officers in Bournemouth will be on hand to record incidents from members of the public, help with lost property and reunite lost children with their parents.

Tourist area

They can also assist the life-saving team on the beach in emergency situations.

Ch Insp Nicky Searle, of Dorset Police, said: "I am confident the introduction of Beach Beat will make Bournemouth beach even safer and ensure that Bournemouth remains the seaside resort of choice for locals and visitors."

Barry Heathfield, RNLI lifeguard manager, said: "Bournemouth beach is a busy tourist area which hosts over 300,000 visitors per week over the summer period.

"The presence of the Beach Beat PCSOs will allow the RNLI lifeguards to concentrate on their core responsibilities of providing vital beach safety information, responding to both major and minor incidents and ultimately saving lives at sea."

After September, a review of the project will be held in view of expanding it along the Dorset coastline.