A CONTROVERSIAL police scheme for parishes to part-fund their own Police Community Support Officers has been praised in Moulton.

Moulton and Davenham have been sharing the cost of their own officer for the past three years but will have to consider their options when the current contract ends in April and the price is set to rise.

Moulton parish clerk Elaine Beech said: “At the moment, although we have had informal information from Cheshire Police, we haven’t had a formal draft service level agreement to comment on.

“We understand an increase in overall costs is in the pipeline but we’re getting two or three different messages.”

The issue was on the agenda at the council’s latest meeting so councillors could start thinking about whether they want to carry on funding a PCSO.

Clr Mark Green said: “Four or five years ago before Moulton and Davenham Safety Action Group we would have been pleased if the only anti-social behaviour we were talking about was glass on the playing field.

“This is a problem – as someone with three kids playing on there I know it’s potentially serious – but three years ago we were talking about things like threatening behaviour and now that’s gone.

“This is partly because of the position the council has taken with MADSAG and partly the support of the PCSO.

“My view is that this is great and should be supported.

“In terms of ‘have we had value for money?’, I think we have.”

During the three years the parishes of Moulton and Davenham have had two PCSOs, Richard Forster and Tom McDermott, with a new officer set to take over at the end of this month.

With Davenham parish, which currently includes Kingsmead, set to split in 2011, the PCSO funding issue will continue to be considered by both councils in the coming months.