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Haverhill's new town centre beat officer, PC Mark Ellis, has started his role and believes there are more important things than dealing with illegal parking.

PC Ellis, 52, who was town centre beat officer in Bury St Edmunds for 15 years, and has been a response officer in Haverhill for the last three years, is hoping to achieve as much in Haverhill as he did in Bury.

Haverhill's police chief, Insp Peter Ferrie, said he wanted PC Ellis to be 'a big presence' in the town centre,and he has already begun the task of getting to know everyone.

"Community policing is my style of policing," PC Ellis said this week. "I loved the role in Bury St Edmunds and I hope to achieve here what I think I achieved there.

"A smaller town is not any easier, but I am confident of doing the same."

He has been tasked with helping to get the Shopwatch scheme fully running in Haverhill again, and he will be going into every shop and talking to traders to make contacts.

He said shops that were not affected by crime needed to stand beside those that were, against offenders.

Asked how he would handle people he saw parked illegally he said: "At their face value."

"The road is a pedestrian zone and cars should not be there like they are. At present it is dangerous.

"But this is not an issue which can be resolved by the police alone. The council needs to be involved.

"My personal opinion is that we have bigger problems to resolve. If the only problem people have is parking in the town centre, then Haverhill must be a very good place.

"Anti-social behaviour is my key concern, but we can't rule out the unseen hazard of drugs. That is a bigger issue than parking."