The new police inspector for Diss and the surrounding area has pledged to have a more localised police presence with more officers on the ground to deal with crimes such as anti-social behaviour.

Insp Alice Scott, who took over from Insp Gavin Money last week, said she wanted police in the town to be more accessible and accountable to the public and said changes to the force's structure, removing the divide between response and safer neighbourhood teams (SNT), would help because previously officers could come from as far away as Thetford or Norwich.

She is responsible for SNTs in Diss, Long Stratton and Harleston and has a force of five sergeants, 21 PCs, eight PCSOs and three beat managers providing 24 hours-a-day cover from the Diss station in Stanley Road.

She added the end of the distinction between response and safer neighbourhood teams would give the police more flexibility in responding to crimes.

'I appreciate that anti-social behaviour is something that we get a lot of calls for and the partnership approach is a way of dealing with anti-social behaviour.

'There will be high visbility patrols and we will be making good contact with the complainants as well as those involved,' Insp Scott said.

She also pledged to continue the work started by Insp Money towards the installation of a new CCTV system in Diss and said South Norfolk Council's communities manager Mike Pursehouse was overseeing the purchase of the new equipment.

The Diss area is familiar territory for Insp Scott as she attended Hartismere High School in Eye and started as a neighbourhood officer in Diss in 2001.

A spell then followed working in the Custody Investigation Unit in Norwich before she joined the CID at Bethel Street in Norwich and then worked for special branch in Norfolk and the Serious and Organised Crime Unit.

She worked as a staff officer for HMRC in London and then in the intelligence directorate where she looked at the integration of intelligence teams from Norfolk and Suffolk police forces.

'I would like the policing to be accountable to the community, visible and pro-active and for people to feel the police are approachable. I think that is the heart of community policing,' Insp Scott said.