Crime has dropped by almost a third in one of the borough's most crime-ridden wards thanks to hands-on community policing, Barnet police claim.

PC Karen Dunn a member of the six-strong Safer Neighbourhoods team dedicated to Burnt Oak ward since last month said crime had fallen by 30 per cent in the ward since the team moved in.

PC Dunn, 36, said: "Most of us eat out there and people come up to us and chat. We've had some really good feedback."

Borough commander Chief Superintendent Mark Ricketts said this was no surprise. He said the feedback had been much the same when community policing had been tried in the 1980s, but greater numbers of extra officers were needed to make it work alongside other policing duties.

"The Met have tried this type of local policing twice before and it was very well received but those two attempts have shown that there is no way we can deliver that style of policing and still have the umbrella service on top of that. The style of work attracts the right type of person, there are real tangible benefits in detailed local knowledge and the amount of work in each ward could suck someone in for two or three years."

Three of Barnet's 21 wards have become Safer Neighbourhoods Burnt Oak, Colindale and Childs Hill.

Each ward will have a dedicated police team made up of a sergeant, two PCs and three Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) operating solely in that area. The Colindale team is scheduled to begin work in June and the Childs Hill team in July.

Burnt Oak ward councillor Claire Farrier, who lives in Watling Avenue, said she felt the team would have its greatest impact in areas such as Watling Park during the summer.

"I've seen them walking around. This is what the people wanted. A lot goes on in the parks, particularly during the summer, and the presence of these officers will do a great deal. Most of the people who cause a nuisance do so because they have nothing else to do," she said.

And the community officers will be able to cover their patches on 15 new £550 mountain bikes bought for them by the Barnet Community Safety Partnership.

Detective Chief Inspector Dick Henson said: "People don't want to see officers locked up in their vehicles but equally they have to be able to get around. We've come up with the mountain bikes. On them, they are visible and approachable."

On Tuesday, the PCSOs embarked on a borough tour dubbed the Tour de Barnet' from High Street, Barnet, to Hendon Town Hall in The Burroughs, Hendon.

Up to six further wards are expected to get Safer Neighbourhoods teams next year.

Chief Supt Ricketts's ultimate aim is to make sure every ward in the borough has its own team.