STUDENT police officers from Holland have discovered how crime-fighting works in West Oxfordshire.

Cadets from the Police Academy of the Netherlands met Witney’s police neighbourhood team during a whistle-stop tour on Thursday.

The visit was organised through Oxford’s link with twin town Leiden.

The students were met at West Oxfordshire District Council’s offices in New Yatt Road, in Witney, by the district’s crime reduction adviser Bill Butcher. Mr Butcher said: “We have had many exchanges between Thames Valley and Leiden Police and we learn a great deal from each other.

“These three officers are doing a project on crime reduction as part of their training and contacted me through the Oxford–Leiden link.”

They were also shown how property can be marked so it can easily be identified if stolen and were told about the Home Office’s work with crime prevention.