FESTIVE revellers and shoppers are moving on to the agenda for Helensburgh and Lomond’s police officers, it has been announced.

Christmas is less than six weeks away, and the area’s police are set to step up patrols in order to ensure public safety.

At a recent meeting of Helensburgh and Lomond community planning group, Inspector Allan Kirk gave an update on the force’s activities of recent months, as well as going forward.

He said: “We are working on our priorities all the time and every day we are proactively working with the national park area.

“We look to dedicate officers as often as possible to camping and litter issues that occur there.

“With Christmas coming up, we will also have additional focus on festive patrols.

“Helensburgh gets a little busier with people going back and forward, so we are aiming to increase patrols.

“There is also a TSI [Third Sector Interface] event in Helensburgh Parish Church on Friday, November 30 about preparing for winter.

“There will be officers in attendance there.”

Inspector Kirk also paid tribute to PC Craig Stamp, who has been the youth engagement officer in Argyll and Bute since early 2017.

He has now moved on to a post closer to his home, but plans are made for his replacement and other youth programmes within the police are still ongoing.

The inspector added: “Craig has worked hard with schools and young people. He lives in Lanarkshire and has been successful in gaining a new job in Gartcosh.

“We started advertising a couple of weeks ago for somebody to take over and who can start in January.

“It will take a while for the new recruit to catch up on all the work Craig did, but we are confident that they will.

“We also have 24 young people successful in applying for the youth volunteer programme, along with seven adult volunteers.

“We are due to launch this on Wednesday, December 5, but it is difficult to draw it all together. It will just be a launch event to show we are committed to it.”