The Government has looked to Sutton's Neighbourhood Watch network for advice on how to improve schemes nationally.

Neighbourhood Watch in Sutton is the largest local association in London with over 1,300 members.

And last week Tom Brake MP and Heather Shaw, chair of Sutton Neighbourhood Watch, held a meeting with Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Crime Prevention James Brokenshire to discuss the future of the scheme nationwide.

Mr Brokenshire heard Heather’s concerns about the availability of resources such as flyers, packs, signs and stickers essential to the smooth-running of the scheme and extra support it needed from the Home Office.

The potential to expand and promote it through new media, especially social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter was also debated.

Mrs Shaw said: ‘It was a very interesting and productive meeting.The Minister was very impressed with how we operate locally in Sutton."

Sutton Neighbourhood Watch, founded in May 2000 currently covers roughly half of all streets.

Mr Brake has since written to Mr Brokenshire seeking clarification of how resources from the Home Office will be made more readily available for Neighbourhood Watch associations.

For more information visit SuttonNeighbourhoodWatch.co.uk or call 020 8649 0614.