THE team of officers at the Warrington town centre is a small yet busy policing unit.

For what they lack in numbers, officers make up for in energy - as what evident when reporter Lauren Hirst went on patrol with PC Kerry Barber and PC Graham Davies.

The main problems facing the town centre officers is theft - a crime that is taken seriously by the team, no matter how minor.

PC Davies said: "During the day, other than the obvious problem of shop theft and fraud, there are issues relating to public order, street drinking and begging.

"We target each problem in the way that will secure the best results for the public."

This includes going out on patrol and issuing dispersal notices, arrests and summons.

Within minutes of setting off from Warrington Town Centre Police Station, PC Barber and PC Davies had spotted a man who is known for begging in the area.

He has recently been handed a dispersal order and his currently location meant he was in breach of the order.

Both officers had a clear knowledge of the offender's history of offending and were able to identify him immediately.

He was charged with breaching the order and will now appear in court to plead to the charges.

While PC Barber drove the suspect to the custody suite in Runcorn, PC Davies went on patrol around the Golden Square Shopping Centre.

It was clear that officers have built a strong relationship with staff on the shop floor as well as the dedicated store security teams as many knew PC Davies by name.

Speaking about a typical day in the life of a police officer, he added: "It involves trying to squeeze in ongoing enquiries, finding out what has been going on in the town and getting out to provide a visible presence to deter crime."