A FREE online neighbourhood watch system is officially live for people living in the Lenton Abbey area of Nottingham.

The Neighbourhood Alert system allows the police to post information and updates about crime in the area and also gives residents the chance to report suspicious behaviour in complete confidence.

The Neighbourhood Alert initiative was launched for the Park Estate in September 2008 and has attracted 280 members from that part of the city.

As a result Nottinghamshire Police received and acted upon 77 pieces of information submitted by residents within the first seven months.

The Neighbourhood Alert launch for Lenton Abbey coincided with the formal opening of Woodside Blossoms, a new city council–funded community garden, on Saturrday June 20th.

The launch comes on the heels of a recent ‘Week of Action’ in Lenton Abbey, where Community Payback offenders worked to improve a derelict piece of land in Wensor Avenue. The land is currently being turned into ‘Community Allotments’, and will be handed back to the neighbourhood shortly.

Insp Andy Baguley, the Neighbourhood Policing Inspector for area, said:

"The information we receive through the Neighbourhood Alert system enables us to allocate our neighbourhood policing team effectively, to send alert messages to residents requesting their assistance with specific issues and to provide updates on matters or incidents that have previously been raised.

The bespoke nature of the system means that the information we provide is specific to the Lenton Abbey community, rather than the wider neighbourhood or the whole city."

Neighbourhood Alert is already available online and can be accessed by clicking here

Members can receive updates by voice or text message or by email, and as it is a free service there is no obligation for anyone to remain a member if they no longer wish to.

Residents can review crime statistics for Lenton Abbey, discuss matters with fellow subscribers and even determine the priority level for the updates they are interested in.

Insp Baguley added: "This has already proved a very useful addition to neighbourhood policing in the Park Estate over a very short space of time and we are sure it will quickly have the same positive impact in Lenton Abbey."

Wollaton East and Lenton Abbey councillor David Oldham, who is also the local neighbourhood watch co-ordinator, said: "It is very user friendly and I myself will find it extremely useful.

"It will give residents who have an internet connection the opportunity to observe what type of crime and anti-social behaviour is happening in Lenton Abbey.

"I think this will be a huge success, it will allow us to observe and report crimes taking place and crimes that been committed.

"This is a step forward, a step in the right direction in helping combat crime and helping to keep our neighbourhoods safer and cleaner."