PENSIONER Bob Empson may be approaching 80 - but he still plays a valuable role in his community.

The sprightly 79-year-old has volunteered his services at Saltburn Police Station for the past 11 years, acting as an important link between officers and the public.

He is one of three volunteers who started working at the station in the mid-1990s, who give their services on various days of the week, working alongside both police officers and police staff.

Yesterday, Mr Empson was joined by assistant chief constable Derek Bonnard and Cleveland Police Authority member Ted Cox as they promoted the volunteer service, which is now being expanded across the Langbaurgh district.

Chief Inspector Peter McPhillips said volunteers were being sought to work with police across East Cleveland.

"We are wanting to engage the community in policing issues and see this as a way of involving the public so they can gain a realistic perception of what we can deliver.

"The volunteers will undoubtedly bring a variety of skills, talent, experience and local knowledge, which can be utilised in various roles to assist the force in delivering an enhanced service.

"Those who have given their time for free to support the police have found the experience invaluable."

Mr Empson said: "I would recommend it to anyone with time on their hands. It is extremely interesting and very diverse and certainly keeps the grey matter working, while providing a very useful service to the police."

Mr Cox, who has played a key role in promoting the initiative, stressed the benefits of promoting close links between the police and their local communities.

He said: "I think this development can bring a number of benefits, as has already been demonstrated in Saltburn.

"It is a practical example of our commitment to making the police service an integral part of the communities in which they work and I am sure that the volunteers will help to strengthen those links."