A CONVENIENCE store in the centre of a teen trouble spot has become a convenient cop shop for Christchurch police.

The town's northern beat team has joined up with the supermarket to open a part -time police station in the Tesco Express outlet at Jumpers Corner.

Jumpers community beat officer PC Paul Rogers and police community support officer Stan Mackrell will use the office to ensure a more visible presence in the area.

They also plan to hold monthly surgeries at the office to discuss policing issues with local residents.

PC Rogers said: "We want the people of Jumpers to get to know us as their local officers and tell us about issues that are concerning them."

The choice of Tesco Express as a location is no accident - PC Rogers and his colleagues on the northern beat team intend to clamp down on the anti-social behaviour that led to calls earlier this year for tough measures to combat young rowdies.

PC Rogers, who took up his new beat in April, explained: "The store is a popular gathering point for youngsters and incidents of alcohol-related nuisance and intimidating behaviour are a cause for concern to both residents and store staff.

"By an increased police presence and also by working with the store, we intend to stamp out this behaviour."

Tesco Express manager Jon Franklin said: "We are happy to support the police by providing them with space for a satellite

station, reporting incidents when they happen and also by ensuring that youngsters are not able

to buy alcohol from this store.

"We are currently retraining all of our staff to make sure they are aware of their responsibilities in terms of refusing to serve both under-18s and those likely to pass on alcohol to under-18s."

Borough council antisocial behaviour reduction officer Diana Webster said the number of nuisance complaints in the Jumpers area had already fallen dramatically following a series of initiatives and the satellite police station would help cut crime further.

First published: August 10