POLICE have had to hit the beat in Headington delivering newsletters – to convince sceptical residents that they are out and about on their streets.

Officers decided to hand deliver 500 newsletters detailing everything they have done about parking problems and antisocial behaviour in the Oxford suburb, after getting complaints that people never saw them on the beat.

Last night, Pc Chris Miles said officers regularly patrolled streets in Headington, but when residents were indoors or at work, they would not necessarily notice.

He came up with the idea of printing a newsletter to show the public officers were out and about in the area and decided that hand-delivering it would demonstrate this.

Five hundred leaflets have landed on doormats in Holyoake Road, London Road, Greys Road and Valencia Road, among others.

Pc Miles said: “People are constantly saying they don’t see us about, but we’re dealing with the issues they’re telling us about.

“Hopefully, by going down the road and delivering the newsletters, it will show them that we’re listening.

“It’s not any extra work. We’re not turning into post people, we’re just delivering the newsletters.”

Residents have been complaining about cars parked on pavements in Holyoake Road and blocking the way for pedestrians, youths drinking and littering in Headington Hill Park and antisocial behaviour at the Quarry play area and recreation ground.

Teenagers were also reported to be causing problems in the park next to Barton Lane.

Taxi driver Nissar Mohammed, 44, of The Slade, said he had not yet received the newsletter.

He said: “I see the police in my road very little. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one, to be honest.

“They should be out and about more. I would feel more reassured if they were.”

Pc Miles said the neighbourhood police team had addressed all of the problems residents informed them about, by issuing parking tickets and taking to the streets to move on youths and patrolling the parks in the evening. He said: “Although we have done this work, I have still had members of the public complaining they never see police.”

On the Holyoake Road parking problems, Pc Miles said: “We patrolled the road and asked people found committing offences to move. We also spoke with some local businesses about parking their vehicles in Holyoake Road. We have also issued tickets to those obstructing the pavement.”

He said Operation Brush, working with city council park rangers, had been set up specifically to deal with teenage foreign language students drinking in and around Headington Hill Park, with officers working extra late shifts to be on hand at the time of day the problems occurred.