MALTON Police has a new inspector and sergeant at its helm.

Insp Martin Dennison has taken up the post covering Whitby and Ryedale. He joined the police force 17 years ago and has previously worked as a sergeant in Whitby and a critical incident inspector at Scarborough.

He said: “I’ve lived in the area since I was in my early teens and went to Lady Lumley’s School in Pickering.

“Ryedale is a great place to live and I have a vested interest and commitment to the area.”

Malton police station has seen a number of changes in staff recently, but Insp Dennison said he was hoping for a period of continuity working alongside Sergeant Darren Coles.

“Ryedale is one of the safest places to live in England and Wales and we want to maintain that and also make sure that we have a visible presence so that members of the public can feel reassured and know that they can approach us,” he said.

“Some of the things we are looking at are officers using the local buses where they can chat to people travelling around the area and also to have their breaks in local cafes so anyone who has an issue can have a chat with them there.”

Sgt Coles has lived in Ryedale in 14 years and started his career in Malton in 1992.

“It is great to be back in the area where I first started as a police officer,” he said. “Ryedale is a fantastic place to live and work.”

Sgt Coles said the issues affecting local policing were varied from burglaries and cross-border crime to drug issues and sexting.

“One of our key roles is educating children and their parents and letting them know who to speak to if they are being bullied or have issues that concern them,” he said.

“We also have a very good relationship with the local schools.”