RESIDENTS will be able to have their say on the burning issues affecting them in the Malvern Hills district as a special policing meeting is held in Malvern tomorrow.

John Lakeman took over leadership of the district's police community consultative group as chairman in April last year.

Since then, he said he has seen an increasing number of people attend the meetings - from five in the early days to as many as 90 now.

Now the group, set up more than six years ago to act as a link between the community and the police, is due to hold its next meeting at 7pm on Wednesday, September 6.

The event will be held at Malvern's St James Girls' College, Avenue Road and Worcestershire county councillor John Campion is set to talk about West Mercia Police's plans to move forward as a single force.

It comes after Home Office proposals for West Mercia to merge the West Midlands, Warwickshire and Stafford-shire constabularies to create one super-force have been put on hold.

Inspector Clive Griffiths - commander of the Malvern Hills district - and Sergeant Sara Goodman will then deliver a report on policing in the area before residents can then ask questions.

Developments with neigh-bourhood watch schemes will be discussed by Clive Marlow of the Malvern Hills District Neighbourhood Watch Association while West Mercia's director of Crimestoppers, Jenny Wynn, will be guest speaker at the meeting. Finally, the district council's community safety manager Jenny Lawrence will deliver a report on community safety.

The group holds five meetings a year - at Abberley, Upton, Tenbury Wells and two in Malvern. It is due to hold its next meeting on Wednesday, October 18, at Abberley Village Hall.