ROYAL Air force Police will be walking the beat in a Suffolk town as part of a joint operation with local officers.

ROYAL Air force Police will be walking the beat in a Suffolk town as part of a joint operation with local officers.

With up to 2,000 service personnel currently based at RAF Honnington the number of heading into Bury St Edmunds for a night out is expected to rise at weekends.

Key dates have been identified when the extra presence of RAF officers will ensure law and order is maintained on the streets.

Sergeant John White of the RAF Police said: “We will be working with Bury Police just to make sure those nights when we know there will be a large presence of service personnel in the town are trouble free.”

Sgt White, who has served with the military police in Bosnia and the Falklands, said 'Millionaire's Night' - the day service personnel get paid - would obviously be one of the nights they would be out in force.

The joint patrols are expected to take place throughout the rest of the year and into early 2010.

Bury Neighbourhood Inspector Chris Galley said they did not generally experience any major crime or disorder associated with service personnel but occasionally it did occur.

He said: “The RAF Police have specific, effective powers to deal with their personnel if the need arises, and in addition their extra uniformed presence will provide added reassurance for everyone.”

Members of the RAF Police have previously joined Bury officers to police the Battle of Britain and Remembrance Day parades.