Penhill’S newest PCSO, Ken Boyle, is on a mission to break down the barriers between police and residents on the estate.

PCSO Boyle, 42, who previously covered Rodbourne and Cheney Manor, aims to engage with the community – even visiting schools – to encourage householders to talk to officers.

He said: “It is a very different style of policing in Penhill. In Rodbourne and Cheney Manor, people are open, they come and speak to you, they are quite happy to speak to you.

“Whereas in Penhill in the general community, I think people feel speaking to officers in uniform may get them into a lot of bother if they are seen by the wrong sort of people.

“It is very difficult to try to engage with the community but that is something that is part of my role – being a bobby on the street, someone people are able to come and talk to about their problems.”

PCSO Boyle, who lives in Stratton, was an injection mould operative at Honda’s Swindon plant for 11 years before joining Wiltshire Police in February to train for his current role.

He completed his tutorship in June, covering Freshbrook and Toothill in the West Swindon South NPT, before moving to Rodbourne Cheney NPT.

PCSO Boyle started this October in the Penhill NPT, replacing PCSO Vicky Packford, who returned to a career in catering.

He said he was delighted to be selected to work alongside his new colleagues, PC Tom Evans, PCSO Tracy Pound, and PCSO Julieann Bridgman.

PCSO Boyle, a father-of-two, plans to spent the next few weeks walking around Penhill to investigate the estate’s layout, build local contacts and to get his face known in the community.

He said: “I personally think that if you are out on the street, if you make the effort to speak to people, they speak back.

“I’m 42 years old, I have got a lot of life experience. And in my spare time I’m a local scout leader so I’m quite approachable.

“It is about trying to get the kids involved – getting them to know you aren’t just a person out to arrest them and take them to the cells.

“What I aim to do is get my foot in the schools and work closely with the kids and just try to work together and work it that way.”