DYFED-Powys Police has teamed up with the fire service to carry out free home safety checks for older people in Carmarthenshire this winter.

The “Bobby Van” will visit homes where a qualified carpenter will look at security and fit locks, alarms and door chains if needed as well as offer advice to reduce the chances of becoming a victim of crime.

Thanks to funding from the Electrical Safety Council, he will be joined by staff from Mid and West Wales Fire & Rescue Service who will supply and install a smoke alarm and give practical information on identifying fire hazards in the home.

Community Fire Safety Officer for Mid & West Wales Fire & Rescue Service, Steve Winstone, added: “We urge the public to get free smoke alarms fitted, and to check them regularly to make sure they are working.”

Executive Board Member for Community Safety, Cllr Pam Palmer, said: “This project makes a real difference to how safe older people feel in their own homes.

“It is also a real deterrent to burglars and bogus callers.