A NEW Divisional Commander for Ayrshire has been appointed - and says tackling drugs will be his top priority.

Mark Hargreaves will take up the position following his previous role as Chief Superintendent within the force's professional standards department.

He says that ridding the local area of the scourge of illegal substances will be his main aim as he takes up the role.

He told the News: “Since my arrival in Ayrshire I have been hugely impressed by the work of the officers and staff in North Ayrshire in keeping people safe.

“The people here , through the Local Policing Plans, have identified the supply and misuse of drugs as one of their priorities, and it is an area of policing I will be immediately looking to review our approach to see what measures can be undertaken to tackle this problem.

“Drug dealing and misuse is a scourge on our communities, and is often the catalyst for other crime types such as crimes of violence and dishonesty, also identified as priorities by the community.

"In addition to enforcement action, I will work closely with our partners to ensure those who need help in tackling addiction issues, who come to police attention, are supported to break this cycle with a view to achieving a sustained reduction in criminality associated with substance misuse.

“I would encourage residents of Largs and surrounding towns and villages to assist police in this regard by providing any information regarding drug misuse or any crimes to local officers or by contacting police directly on 101 or via Crimestoppers.”