Great Western Coffee Shop

Rail cops are on the lookout for South West people who want a say on how the railways and stations are policed.

British Transport Police (BTP) wants volunteers to join an innovative Citizens Panel consisting of people from a wide diversity of communities across the Wales and Western area.

One of the panel's key aims will be to strengthen relationships between BTP and local community groups.

The force wants people who have a general interest in railways and the railway community, particularly those who have strong links into local communities, to work in an advisory role to provide feedback and advice on how BTP's actions are interpreted by members of the public.

Insp Stuart Middlemas, who is responsible for setting up the Independent Advisory Group (IAG) for BTP's Wales and Western area, said: "We want members of the public to become more involved in advising us in our policing of the railways.

"BTP already has a National Independent Advisory Group (NIAG) whose members are from a wide cross-section of backgrounds, communities and diverse groups who constructively evaluate BTP's policies and procedures based on their own independent views, experiences and special knowledge of their own communities.

"We now want to develop an area-based group who can represent the Wales and Western area railway community we serve, and allow members of the public and rail staff to have a say on how we police the railways at a local level.

"We want them to be critical and challenge existing processes to continue to build trust and confidence in us, which will have real tangible effects on our policing and our policies."

Meetings will be quarterly and while members will not be paid to perform the role, they will be entitled to the reimbursement of associated costs such as travel expenses.

If you're interested in volunteering for the Citizens Panel visit http://www.btp.police.uk/about_us/btp_in_the_community/ww_area_citizens_panel.aspx or call 0121 654 2072 for further details.