A DROP-in centre in Great Yarmouth aimed at tackling crime has been highlighted by prime minister Gordon Brown today. Speaking at the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership Conference in London Mr Brown highlighted the importance of places like the Comeunity Centre on King Street making crime prevention advice readily available to the public.

A DROP-in centre in Great Yarmouth aimed at tackling crime has been highlighted by prime minister Gordon Brown today.

Speaking at the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership Conference in London Mr Brown highlighted the importance of places like the Comeunity Centre on King Street making crime prevention advice readily available to the public.

Mr Brown said: “I want to see police premises in high streets and in shopping malls up and down the country. In South Yarmouth the police and local authority have taken over a shop where people drop-in and talk to the police. I want to see more forces do this as a core part of neighbourhood policing.”

The endorsement follows a visit by Home Office minister Vernon Coaker, who was looking at neighbourhood policing in Norfolk, and visited the Comeunity centre.

The prime ministers speech was made on the same day that Norfolk Police released its latest response figures, since major changes were made to frontline policing at the beginning of April.

The figures reveal that 91pc of Grade A urban calls are attended within 15 minutes with average response times being eight minutes and 19 seconds.

And 87pc of Grade A rural calls are being attended within 20 minutes with an average response of 12 minutes 19 seconds.

Figures for non-immediate response calls have improved with waiting times reduced by five-and-a-half minutes. The average is now 38 minutes two seconds.