IT'S difficult to gauge how much reassurance people will glean from the comments of Keighley police inspector Khalid Khan, about force manpower in the town.

He did his best to allay the fears of town councillors, who raised concerns about a lack of officers and poor response times.

The fears of our politicians are mirrored by many members of the public, who certainly perceive inadequacies in force cover.

And their anxieties are not helped by the continued uncertainty surrounding the future of Keighley Police Station and the reluctance of West Yorkshire's Police and Crime Commissioner to provide answers.

We keep being told that a police presence will be retained in the town, but the actual extent of that presence – and where it will be based – remains unclear.

You only need to scour the pages of this newspaper for evidence, were it needed, of why a strong cohort of officers is essential in Keighley.

A raid by masked burglars on a Keighley town-centre shop, cars targeted by arsonists etc.

These are all high-level crimes which required an immediate response, not petty incidents which could be swept away with the issuing of a crime reference number.

Credit is due to Insp Khan for meeting community members and facing the criticisms.

He vows he wants to bring "visibility" back to policing. Few would argue against that sentiment.