The long arm of the law reached the top of some garage doors with its paintbrushes.

Officers from Keighley Neighbourhood Policing Team spruced up a graffiti-blighted area of Highfield. They were joined by residents as they carried out their contribution to the Jubilee Hour community work scheme.

Police officers across the district are each spending an hour of their time on clean-up projects, as part of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

The brush-wielding PCs and PCSOs went along to the Victoria Mews area to repaint about 20 garages.

They were delighted when local people spontaneously joined them in the activities, which also included picking up litter and general cleaning.

While the off-duty officers painted – using paints supplied by Bradford Council – on-duty police carried out patrols in the Highfield area.

This is part of a focus by the Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) tackling the root causes of anti-social behaviour.

The initiative has also included extra patrols of local parks at weekends by police and park ranger motorcycle teams, and operations to target low-level drug dealing. Several arrests have recently been made by officers and inquiries are ongoing as part of a number of investigations.

Keighley NPT inspector Tony Reed said: “This was a really productive evening which was received extremely well.

“It was very gratifying to see residents at first notice our clean- up and then come out of their homes and help, and that for me shows the community spirit we still have around here.”

The inspector hoped the refurbishment would mark the start of a new focus on curbing anti-social behaviour in the area.

He said: “Issues such as graffiti and vandalism matter in communities like Victoria Mews and only encourage other crimes such as anti-social behaviour and drugs.

“I want residents to know their local cops won’t stand for it and they shouldn't tolerate it either.”

Anyone with information about crime in their neighbourhoods is asked to contact Keighley NPT on the 101 non-emergency number.