Fear of crime in north Watford is being tackled by a community safety partnership that could become a blue print for the whole country.

The first 'partnership protected area' was launched in the Stanborough ward of Watford, bringing together different agencies to help improve residents' quality of life.

During the 15-week pilot scheme, which was launched last month, members of the North Watford Neighbourhood Team hope to visit every one of the 2,700 properties in the area, to carry out a home safety survey that will help residents identify how they can make their homes safer.

They will also be given information and advice from the fire and rescue service, Hertfordshire County Council, West Herts Primary Care Trust, and Watford Borough Council.

If the scheme proves to be successful, it could soon be rolled out across Watford. The Home Office could also implement it nationwide.

Speaking at North Watford Police Station today, as the community team prepared to leave North Watford Police Station, Sergeant Derek Phillips said the pilot aimed to make residents feel safer in their own homes.

He said: “One of the biggest problems we have is crime levels are very low but the fear of crime is very high. Hopefully this will reduce it significantly.

“The major benefit is to sell the fact that actually people are very safe in their homes. Statistically crime is very low. It's really to try and combat the feeling some people have that they are in some way vulnerable.

“People are very safe but when they don't feel like that, it causes concern for us. We're demonstrating the simple ways they can make themselves feel safe.”

PCSO David Gunn, who works in Stanborough and Woodside wards, added that residents' responses to the scheme had been very positive.

He said: “If you're looking at the statistics as a whole, Stanborough has one of the lowest levels of crime.

“It seems to have had a very positive response. Lots of people feel we're paying them attention and offering them a good service. We walk away and they feel positive about our presence.”