A NEW community initiative called 'The Safe Place Scheme' has been launched in Okehampton.

Police Community Support Officer Lisa Smith from Okehampton Police Station has recently been working alongside Tracey Seymour of the town's Puzzle Tree Drop In Centre to promote the initiative.

The Safe Place Scheme aims to help vulnerable people in the community who may need someone to contact their carer for them if they get lost or need support whilst out and about.

PCSO Lisa Smith, who works as part of the neighbourhood policing team in Okehampton, has been liaising with local businesses and charities in the area, in an effort to get them to display the Safe Place Scheme sticker in the window of their shop premises.

Once they display the sticker it means that a vulnerable person or a person with learning disabilities, who needs help while out and about in Okehampton, can call into the shop and present their Safe Place Scheme card.

The card has on it details of the person's name and their carer's contact number. Shop staff are then able to call the carer to let them know the whereabouts of the vulnerable person and what help is needed.

Sometimes these people may also need someone to call the police if something serious has happened to them, or an ambulance if they are hurt.

PCSO Lisa Smith said: 'I was introduced to the scheme through Tracey, who's involved with Okehampton's Puzzle Tree drop-in centre.

'I am the town's community support officer and I wanted to get more involved in the community side of things, to support vulnerable people.

'It's something I am hoping to also set up in the surrounding villages.

'The Safe Place Scheme will help people in the community and I am very much looking forward to taking it further.'

The initiative has been developed using funding from the Safer Devon Partnership and The Learning Disability Health and Social Care Partnership.

Anyone interested in displaying one of the stickers in their window should contact PCSO Lisa Smith on 01837 658400, and leave a message if she is not on duty.