THE first two police community support officers will be taking to the streets of Bolton later this month.

The man and woman, who have not yet been named, were recruited by Greater Manchester Police before Christmas and have undergone intensive training.

The new bobbies are due to start walking the beat on Monday January 20 -- once they have been issued with their warrant cards. More will follow in the coming months. There will also be four officers covering the Leigh and Wigan area and five in Bury. They will have selected powers to deal with anti-social behaviour, littering, dog fouling and confiscation of alcohol. Working alongside community beat officers, they will provide an important link between residents and the police.

The officers will also be able to issue non-endorsable fixed penalties to offenders. Their role is similar to that of a special, but they do not have as many powers. One of their main objectives will be to provide high-visibility patrolling and to gather intelligence.

They will work regular shifts under the supervision of the community beat sergeant for their particular area.

Eventually, there will be a total of 160 PCSOs assisting regular police officers in the Greater Manchester area in the fight against crime, the largest group outside London.

The first intake will complete their initial training with a ceremony to be held at GMP's training school at Sedgley Park.

Each officer will receive their warrant cards from Assistant Chief Constable Ian Seabridge, of Community and Internal Affairs.

The uniform will be a blue anorak with a PCSO embroidered badge on the breast pocket, black trousers, white shirt with either a blue tie for the males or a blue cravat for the female officers.

They will wear a black cap with blue banding and a support staff badge. Each officer will also be given radios, torches and an infectious diseases pouch, containing gloves and other equipment.

Assistant Chief Constable Ian Seabridge said: "These first PCSOs are valuable additions to the ability of the police and the public to improve the quality of life for people across Greater Manchester. They will be the eyes and ears of the police service and provide continuity of policing presence in many areas where it is currently difficult to guarantee a sustained police presence.

"They will very much work with communities to reduce the effects of anti-social behaviour, public nuisance and associated criminality, allowing a better flow of information from the public to the police about what is happening in their communities."

and who is responsible for causing disquiet in the neighbourhoods."