The Craven Neighbourhood Policing Team has a new leader - and she is an award-wining problem-solver.

Sergeant Jo Beecroft has replaced Darren Minton in the role and now manages the police community support officers (PCSOs) for Steeton, Eastburn and Silsden, as well as Addingham.

A former sergeant with Bradford South NPT, Jo was part of a team that won the Home Office Tilley Award for problem solving earlier this year.

Although her last post was mainly concentrated in inner-city areas of Bradford such as Manningham and Girlington, Sgt Beecroft thinks the challenges of the more rural Craven area will be similar.

She said: “Problem solving involves making the community a nicer place to live and work and we are working with the community to achieve this. I am looking forward to the new challenge and this will give me a chance to do proper community work.”

Although the first port of call for Craven residents is the high-visibility PCSOs patrolling the area, Sgt Beecroft said she would be “out and about” too.

The Craven Neighbourhood Policing Team can be contacted on 01274 475301.