Cops make tracks to meet folk.

A GROUP of Solihull Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) were swapping the usual tyres for the tracks today.

Officers from the St Alphege neighbourhood policing team were taking their community beat surgery aboard the local train network to chat with commuters about policing in their area.

Working in partnership with British Transport Police, it is the first of a number of surgeries to be held on board trains in the area to gather feedback from the public.

The PCSOs were due to board the 9am train at Solihull station and travel through to Widney Manor until 11am. Sergeant Kirk Whitehouse, who leads the St Alphege team, said: "We are always looking at new ways to engage with our communities and by travelling on the local trains we feel it will enable us to chat to members of the public who we may not normally encounter."

To find out more about upcoming beat surgeries in your neighbourhood visit at www.west-midlands.police.uk/np/solihull.