The Welwyn Hatfield Safer Neighbourhood Team met with residents at Stanborough Park to discuss any concerns about the local community.

Making the most of the sunny weather, the team hosted a stall by Splashlands and spoke to as many residents as possible, with locals able to share their feedback.

Officers also patrolled the park in response to concerns about recent anti-social behaviour with five bins having been set alight on Tuesday, April 5 into Wednesday, April 6.

Free bike-marking was available too for those who were out on bike rides in the park, with the security measure meaning the bikes are less attractive to thieves because they become harder to sell on and easier for the owners to track down.

There was some action for the police on the day as well after they located a swan which had been tangled up in some branches and called out the local swan sanctuary.

“I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to come and see us on Saturday,” said Sgt Alex Smedley from the Safer Neighbourhood Team.

“Listening to your views is really important as the feedback you give us guides our patrol plans and the issues we need to tackle. It was great to meet everybody.

“We security marked around 25 bikes and had lots of visits from and discussions with families. The children particularly enjoyed trying on the kit and getting in the van.

“We hope to host more regular stalls at the park so please keep an eye out and do come along to our further events. Not only are these events a chance for you to share your views, but it’s also an opportunity for you to gain crime prevention advice too.

“We know that there has been some issue with anti-social behaviour in the park recently but please be assured that regular patrols are being carried out, along with the extra patrols on Saturday.

“If you couldn’t make it on Saturday, I encourage you to still get in touch with your feedback by using echo, the constabulary’s community voice platform.

“Likewise, if you missed out on getting your bike security marked, I encourage you to go to bikeregister.com which is national database where you can register your bike. If it’s then ever lost or stolen, it will improve the chances of finding it.”