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West Sussex County Council's Fire and Rescue Service has opened up the doors of four fire stations to Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) as part of a new community focussed initiative to tackle a range of issues such as anti-social behaviour and arson.

They are strategically based in villages that do not have Police stations:

• Billingshurst.
• Henfield.
• Partridge Green.
• Storrington.

They will provide a low cost office base for a small task force of PCSOs to patrol and provide a hands-on service in local parishes.

The stations will also be used to hold local surgeries and meetings of Neighbourhood Watch and Local Action Teams

Paul Fuller , Fire and Rescue Service District Commander for the Horsham area, said the closer working partnership should lead to a more co-ordinated approach, tackling some of the common issues facing both services.

"We have traditionally been close partners in emergency response and this low cost initiative, which is a first for West Sussex, will see us working even closer together to try and prevent those emergencies happening in the first place, making West Sussex a safer place to live"

David Dewdney , West Sussex County Council Cabinet Member for Community Services, said: "This move underlines the close working relationship the Fire and Rescue Service has with the police and the wider role it is now playing in the community."