THE days of Dixon of Dock Green are remembered with affection by those old enough to have lived through them.

George Dixon was the embodiment of a time when the local copper was thought of as a friend of the community; a familiar, trusted face, someone to turn to.

Yesterday, Cleveland Chief Constable Sean Price talked of "the Dixons of Dock Green for the 21st Century" when he launched his neighbourhood policing plan which will put hundreds of officers onto community beats.

It is a strategy which we applaud and which we believe will be welcomed by all the communities involved.

Of course, police forces must retain the strategic ability to tackle serious crime by working together regionally, nationally and internationally. That focus must not be lost.

But there is also great value in officers becoming part of communities, earning the respect of people at a very local level, getting to know them, and creating a partnership approach to fighting crime.

Bobbies on the local beat are what the public wants to see and we wish the new Dixons of Dock Green every success.

Did do better

A YEAR ago, the North-East had the worst school in England.

When only 19 per cent of pupils at Eastbourne School in Darlington achieved five A* to C grades at GCSE, it was seen as a national disgrace.

We are happy to report that this year has shown a significant increase to 44 per cent.

We must not forget that Eastbourne was coming from a very low base - the lowest in the country - and that there is still a long way to go.

But we congratulate the staff and pupils on the improvement and hope it continues.