AN effective response to missing children and a good standard of investigation centred on the victim are two of the positives picked up by Her Majesty′s Inspector of Constabulary about Cheshire Police.

In the report, it outlines how the force is ‘good’ at protecting those who are vulnerable and praises frontline officers, who are often the first point of contact with those most in need, for being knowledgeable, positive and understanding.

Chief constable Simon Byrne said identifying and responding to vulnerable people is a top priority for Cheshire Police.

He said: "As a force we care about the people we serve and this independent assessment reinforces that – praising the helpful attitude of officers and staff, who embody the culture of Cheshire as being a caring constabulary.

"Officers and staff regularly respond to, and deal with, some of the most vulnerable people in the county and often in very challenging situations.

“This is a real credit to everyone and is something that we should all feel very proud of.

The review, which took place in July, is part of the annual PEEL inspections into police efficiency, effectiveness and legitimacy by the HMIC.

It focused on how effective Cheshire Constabulary is at protecting those who are vulnerable and supporting these victims.

Police and crime commissioner for Cheshire John Dwyer said: “We are committed to protecting the most vulnerable in Cheshire and supporting victims through the criminal justice process – this was reinforced recently when the chief constable and I launched our victim’s strategy and Cheshire CARES.

"In Cheshire, victims have previously been supported by the charity Victim Support.

"Cheshire CARES, a new venture which I have funded, will provide a support service for all victims of crime and will be able to deliver a faster assessment of what an individual victim needs.”

The issue of CSE is also an area of focus for the inspection.

The HMIC states that Cheshire has made a good start in ensuring it is well prepared to tackle the issue.

The force has developed the Pan Cheshire Child Sexual Exploitation Multi-Agency Strategy, which sets out how the four local authorities across Cheshire and their partners intend to address and continuously improve the way they are tackling CSE over the next three years.

Mr Dwyer added: “This is a matter that I take very seriously.

"I don’t want CSE to become the norm in today’s society, and we all need to work together to ensure that nobody becomes a victim."