INSTEAD of on foot Thornton Heath’s Safer Neighbourhood Team can now be seen whizzing around on e-bikes as they patrol the beat.

Ward councillors from all three wards: Thornton Heath, Bensham Manor and West Thornton, contributed to buying the e-bikes which were funded from their council Community Ward Budgets.

The 10 bikes have enabled the officers who are based at Windmill Road to spend less time travelling to the wards they patrol on their patch.

They e-bikes are increasingly being used by community officers as they are great on hills, handy when pursuing other electric devices like e-scooters and enhance community engagement.

An e-bike is a bicycle with a battery power ‘assist’ that comes via peddling.

Ward sergeant Andy Smith welcomed the ‘amazing bits of kit’ adding: “We are now more mobile, more visible and more reactive than before.”

Our picture taken at Spurgeon’s College which is on the Thornton Heath ward, shows the SNT officers. ready for action.

The bikes were presented at a ceremony attended by local councillors Karen Jewitt, Humayun Kabir, and Janet Campbell.