TWITTER and Facebook have long been the domains of celebrities and footballers.

But in Bolton, the social networking sites are worth far more than avenues for gossip and chit-chat.

The town's three neighbourhood policing teams see their accounts as crime-fighting tools and ways to build relationships with the public.

Not only are the public updated with daily crime bulletins and news of suspects being charged, but they are also given an innovative insight into police work.

Tracking devices fitted to bicycles used by PCSOs have shown the extensive routes they take when responding to calls.

A few calls were made about suspicious circumstances and burglaries in Harwood last week.

Not only did a PCSO hop on their bike and patrol the area, discovering insecurities and speaking with residents.

They also posted the roads they had visited in the search on a map.

In the post, the police said: "You may well say 'well that's their job' but we think it's nice to show that we DO listen to what you have to say and do our best to assist!"

Bolton North neighbourhood policing team posted a similar update last month when responding to reports of a suspicious male in Thornham Drive, Astley Bridge.

Det Insp Charlotte Cadden said the number of Facebook "likes" to the North team's page has jumped from 4,300 to 5,100 in the last few weeks, and that they are striving to put more and more information on it.

She said: "The more people we get on our Facebook page, the more we can send urgent crime prevention messages to.

"Witness appeals and posting pictures of stolen property have allowed us to charge people with offences, and we have also posted a lot of stuff on personal safety.

"It is simply an immediate way of communicating with the public, and it gives people a way of directly getting in touch with us as well."

At the weekend, radio DJ Sara Cox tweeted images of the men who broke into her brother's house in Ainsworth, Bury.

Police across Greater Manchester looked at the pictures, and Det Insp Cadden's team were able to identify the pair caught on CCTV.

Brothers Barry Foulkes, aged 28, of Angle Street, Tonge Moor, and Gary Foulkes, aged 33, of Ashness Place, Breightmet, pleaded guilty to one charge of burglary at Bury and Rochdale Magistrates' Court on Monday, and are awaiting sentence.

You can follow @GMPBoltonNorth, @GMPBoltonCentral and @GMPBoltonSouth on Twitter, or visit their Facebook pages.