KINGSBRIDGE Police visited children at Loddiswell Preschool last month to talk about what they do.

PC Rich Loxton visited the preschool in January, where children were shown the special equipment the police carry and why they carry them. They got to see the walkie-talkies, batons and handcuffs.

They also had the opportunity to sit in the police car and put on the lights and the sirens. They were all finger printed and given certificates to take home.

PC Loxton explained how ‘important’ it is to ‘gain the trust of kids from an early age’, so they are not ‘afraid to come to us in later life’.

‘Parents often see us and say something like "If you’re naughty that policeman will take you away and lock you up",’ PC Loxton continued, ‘that’s the worst thing to say as it makes kids afraid of us.

‘If they’re lost or in trouble we want them to come to us, not run away and hide.’