A new superintendent has pledged to reduce crime and increase public satisfaction in local policing after taking over the reins in south Norfolk.Supt Malcolm Cooke, who moved from Lincolnshire Police to Norfolk last year, has taken charge of the eight safer neighbourhood teams in the district.

A new superintendent has pledged to reduce crime and increase public satisfaction in local policing after taking over the reins in south Norfolk.

Supt Malcolm Cooke, who moved from Lincolnshire Police to Norfolk last year, has taken charge of the eight safer neighbourhood teams in the district.

The officer, who has 16 years experience in the police service, takes over from Supt Paul Sanford who had been in the job for 18 months and is now responsible for response policing across the county.

Supt Cooke, who had previously been working in the partnerships department at Norfolk Police headquarters, said he would have a main office at Diss police station, but would be splitting his time across the district.

'South Norfolk is a lovely area and it is a low crime area, but we can still improve that. Supt Sanford has put down some excellent building blocks around partnership working and I really want to build on that,' he said.

Supt Cooke said he was getting to grips with the issues in the district's market towns and villages and was keen to ensure that the forthcoming Halloween and Bonfire Night period was a celebration and not marred by antisocial behaviour.

He added that he was keen to get to the bottom of a spate of arson attacks on wheelie bins and hedge rows in the Diss area over the last month and was chasing a number of enquiries.

'I am really looking forward to working in the South Norfolk area. Supt Paul Sanford has done a tremendous job cultivating strong relationships with partners as well as helping to influence a decrease in crime across the neighbourhoods. I am keen to work with communities to understand their issues and look to problem solve these with partners,' he said.