BRING back our bobby on the beat in Cookham that is the message from community leaders after six weeks without a dedicated officer.

Parish councillors have been told by police that their regular officer PC Les Bullion is off sick and at present there is no permanent replacement.

Tony Prichard, chairman of the council, told the Free Press: "People in Cookham want to see the presence of a beat officer but we haven't seen anyone walking around or out on a bicycle for a long time.

"We know the police are understaffed but if Les is not coming back we want another beat bobby."

He said concerns have been raised that burglary and vandalism could be set to rise if police do not have a visible presence in the village.

The council is so concerned that they wrote a letter to the police and were told PC Bullion had been off sick but the area was being patrolled, although they have no dedicated officer.

However, Inspector Steve Waters, of Maidenhead police, who cover Cookham and Cookham Dean, said that the number of offences committed in the area had not risen since the officer had been off sick.

He added: "We are constantly monitoring events and crime figures across the sector."

He said that Cookham was still regularly patrolled from Maidenhead.

A Thames Valley Police spokesman confirmed they did not know when or if PC Les Bullion would be back.