THE new Beccles neighbourhood inspector wants to see the public more involved in identifying and tackling problems, he said this week.Inspector Richard Gubbins joined the Beccles neighbourhood police force in December, taking over from Stuart Grimsey.

THE new Beccles neighbourhood inspector wants to see the public more involved in identifying and tackling problems, he said this week.

Inspector Richard Gubbins joined the Beccles neighbourhood police force in December, taking over from Stuart Grimsey.

He told The Journal this week he was putting particular emphasis on the safer neighbourhood team's community priority setting meetings while based in Beccles.

The regular meetings are open to the public as well as a variety of representatives from other public bodies such as the council.

And it is this co-operative approach involving all of the community that Inspector Gubbins believes will get the best results.

“The main thing I want to do improve is public involvement with our priority setting process with the safer neighbourhood teams,” he said. “We're already having some tangible results from things people are raising. We're properly analyzing exactly what the problem is and tackling this with a joint approach.”

Inspector Gubbins and will be in charge of Beccles, Bungay, Halesworth and Southwold, as well as all the neighbouring parishes.

He was recently promoted to inspector after working as a sergeant in Leiston, and has been in Suffolk police for five years.

After a stint as a police officer in his native Leicestershire, he worked in Ipswich before policing Leiston and Aldeburgh.

“I've been really impressed with the officers and staff here and how hard they are working,” he said. “And also by the support already in the community, whether it be the council, businesses or the public. I'm looking forward to maintaining and building on it.

“Although I'm a Leicestershire lad I've been coming to Suffolk since I was a teenager, sailing, so Beccles is a wonderful posting for me - I've got an area that includes the Broads and the coast.”

The next safer neighbourhood team community priority setting meeting for Beccles and Bungay takes place on Wednesday March 17. It starts at 4pm and will take place at The Riverside Centre at The Staithe in Bungay.