Cleaners get on the police wavelength in the fight against crime

Borough police and the council are enlisting the staff who normally push carts or drive electric cleaning carts because their early hours make them useful scouts in the town centre.

They will now be equipped with walkie-talkie radios linked to town centre officers as they go about their usual task of cleaning pavements and picking up litter.

The walkie talkies - which are not standard police radios - are part of a network called "town centre radio" which connects police officers, Harrow Council's CCTV room, town centre shops and pubs.

There are currently 100 handsets being used in Harrow, and traders use them for everything from reporting anti social behaviour to warning of known shoplifters in the area.

Harrow town centre's policing is now carried out by a dedicated-nine officer team, which is part funded by Harrow Council to the tune of £215,000 a year.

Signing up borough street cleaners was the brainchild of Harrow police Sergeant Mike Windeatt, who heads the town centre team.  He said: "Working closely with the Harrow street cleaners has real benefits for us. They street cleaners start their shifts just after dawn and see things that may be extremely valuable to police.

"We are issuing these radios to the supervisors and asking them to use them to report to use if for example they come across any suspicious packages, or any discarded property that might have been stolen, if they come across a crime scene or even if they see someone acting suspiciously."

The first of the Kenwood-manufactured radios are being issued to Harrow Council's 15-strong town centre street cleaning team today (Friday April 17).

Cllr Susan Hall, portfolio holder for the environment, said: "This is a new twist on the well established neighbourhood watch idea. It is not about our cleaners suddenly becoming vigilantes but just using their experience of our streets to act as an early alarm service for town centre officers."