IT WILL be best foot forward for beat bobbies when they officially take up their new roles at the North-East's largest shopping mall tomorrow.

Each mall at Gateshead's MetroCentre will have its own community beat manager.

Gateshead West PCs Steve Oliver, Sonya Hudson, Lee Stevenson and Eileen Drummond, will be patrolling the malls and car parks providing a reassuring presence for shoppers, businesses and shops.

They are funded, initially for three years, through a partnership between Gates-head West Area Command and MetroCentre retailers and leisure operators.

Their official appointment coincides with the start of a Crime and Disorder Watch at both MetroCentre and the nearby retail park.

This is a partnership between businesses on both sites, MetroCentre management and Northumbria Police, with regular information passed between all members.

The four beat managers have been working at the MetroCentre since October, preparing the ground work for their official start this month.

They are well-known faces to businesses in the malls, visiting each one every week.

PC Hudson said: " We have had a really good response. Everyone knows our faces and they have been really friendly."

Northumbria Police officers will also help with the training of security staff at the centre, including forensic training, ensuring crime scenes are not contaminated, and conflict management, in a bid to deal with potentially difficult situations.