You could say they are the new type of bobby on the beat. There are 19 police community support officers in Bury to help keep law and order.

Yet even though they were introduced two years ago, some people are confused about their role. So Bury Times reporter Gaynor Clarke put on her detective hat to find out exactly what they do . . .

"A LOT of people think we're traffic wardens or parking attendants, and they come ranting to us that we've given them a parking ticket. Other people stop in the street and give us funny looks. No-one really seems to know who we are."

Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) Eric Molyneux and Gavin Foley patrol the streets of Bury every day, proud to work in the home town of former Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel, the father of modern policing.

The Government introduced PCSOs in 2003 to reassure the public and provide an extra level of security, freeing up police to deal with more serious incidents. Now there are 6,214 of them nationally.

They don't have the same powers as the police, and are unable to arrest a suspect. If they believe someone should be arrested, PCSOs can detain them for up to 30 minutes, using reasonable force, while they wait for police to make the arrest.

The new officers, in their fluorescent yellow jackets and navy blue caps, are treated with varying degrees of suspicion when they are out on duty in Bury Market and the town centre.

As the officers walk past a group of teenagers on a bench in Market Street, PCSO Molyneux greets them with a friendly "All right?"

But the youngsters shout back: "Not while you're walking on our streets!"

PCSO Foley said: "We do get some verbal abuse, mainly from youths and passing traffic. We don't take it personally though, because it's the uniform they're shouting at really.

"I've only had one serious incident since I started as a PCSO. I caught a shoplifter on the market, and he threatened me with a needle, so I had to call for police back-up. That was just a one-off."

PCSO Molyneux said: "It's only the people who have done something wrong who don't like us. Everyone else understands that we are here to help. By being on the streets, people feel safer and crime goes down just because we are there."

As they continue patrolling, it's clear that some people do appreciate the PCSOs' help.

On their beat, PCSOs Foley and Molyneux are approached by three people - one to ask for directions, another to ask for advice to tackle bullying, and a stallholder thanking them for their help in reducing shoplifting.

So far, so friendly and helpful, but what else do PCSOs do?

PCSO Foley said: "We do a lot of different things. Our main role is to be highly visible, to reassure the public and make them feel safe, so the majority of our work is patrolling. If it's a market day, we spend a lot of time there, but otherwise we patrol the shopping area and estates across Bury.

"We have many other duties as well - if there's a crime scene, we man the cordon and make sure no-one can cross it. We also go to area panel meetings to discuss any concerns residents may have and help to tackle them. Whenever police officers attend a burglary, we go along to advise the victims on home and personal security.

"We can also confiscate alcohol from under-age drinkers, regulate traffic, and issue fixed penalty notices for things like littering and dog fouling.

"PCSOs can also help to gather intelligence for the police, because we're always out on the streets and people feel they can talk to us more openly."

There are now 19 PCSOs patrolling Bury, with Greater Manchester Police looking to recruit one more. The Government hopes to have 24,000 PCSOs in place by 2008, so that they are a visible presence in all towns and cities.

PCSOs Molyneux and Foley started working six months ago, after completing a PCSO training course. They had to spend three weeks practising their duties, IT training, first-aid, and basic self-defence, before starting work.

PCSO Molyneux said: "Anyone who is fit and healthy can become a PCSO - male or female, old or young. Lots of people are bored of their jobs and could work to help the public. I used to work as a delivery driver, and that was very boring compared to being a PCSO. There's more to life than driving a van.

"I like speaking to people and helping the public, and it's nice being outdoors all day. Making people feel safe and helping them out really makes a difference."