A LONG-AWAITED shake-up of local policing will see PCSOs return to the district from Monday.

The demise of the local Safer Neighbourhood Team, which was axed in a bid to slash £8.1m from South Yorkshire Police’s budget, resulted in the formation of the Barnsley East Local Policing Team in June 2015 - a move local residents said led to a loss of presence on the streets - after bobbies were taken out of their usual villages to be based in Wombwell.

But changes will be made to the model and 14 PCSOs, four police officers and one sergeant - Brad Wynne - will oversee policing for Brierley, Cudworth, Grimethorpe, Royston and Shafton with Royston’s police station being used as their base.

Coun Charlie Wraith has hailed the changes and labelled the move as a step in the right direction.

Read more in this weeks Barnsley Chronicle