RESIDENTS are calling for more bobbies to be put on the beat.

They claim recent initiatives by the Met to walk the streets and increase their visibility in the community are proving helpful.

But despite this, street crime in the borough continues to rocket.

Police have also admitted that they are finding it hard to maintain beat patrols with the pressures of rising crime and the drain on resources linked with increased central London policing after September 11.

John Bennett, speaking on behalf of Chingford Green residents at last week's police community consultative group, said: "Last November the old beat service was brought back.

"Police walking the beat instead of driving around in cars is working very well. But we keep having our homebeat officers taken away.

"We want to see more of them out there doing the job you can't see what you're doing from a car. But as for the bobbies on the beat, residents think it is spiffing."

Borough commander Colin Poulter said: "The beat patrols have been a success but it is a difficult balance to keep.

"I would love to see more police officers on the street, but we have got to be careful when we think of those good old days of Dixon of Dock Green.

"Now, with mobile phones, people are demanding our services more and quickly and we have to prioritise certain crimes. We can't deny that with full resources we would want to put walking the streets and talking to the community.

"We have tweaked the service of community officers again in reaction to the second crime and disorder strategy."