A couple of days ago we came across Local Neighbourhood Sargent James Main on Twitter, who works in the B Division (Scunthorpe South area) of Humberside Police. His "Patch" includes Ashby, Bottesford, Brumby, Frodingham, Kingsway and Lincoln Gardens. Sargent Main is taking part in a trial by Humberside Police aimed at enabling officers to communicate with the public by Twitter. This has already paid dividends as just today Sgt Main announced to local residents following him on Twitter that he'd been down to Darby Glass to talk to some travellers who have recently turned up there. This direct approach to interfacing with the public is an excellent move by the local police to not only utilise technology but to also break down social barriers and keep the public informed in a more proactive manner. The real beauty of social media is the manner in which Twitter can be used at such a local level. In the past we've campaigned and lobbied local councillors and our MP to make better use of Social media, and have been very pleased to see more councillors taking up blogs and tweets, to the point at which its even led to debate about tweeting from council meetings. It seems that Humberside Police have also seen the benefit which direct tweeting can afford them. This comes at a controversial time for the local force having just announced a �3M budget for Public Relations, despite facing cuts to front line policing. However, in terms of cost, twitter is a very cheap and effective way to get your message across. Sergeant Main said: "I am pleased to have been given the chance to take part in the trial for B Division and Humberside Police. "I feel that with modern technology developing a quickly as it has, this is an ideal way for officers to be able to keep in touch with the local community. "I appreciate that myself and the other officers will not be able to tweet 24hrs a day-7 days a week, but it does give us the chance to advance the way we communicate. "Please take the opportunity to follow me on Twitter and I will try to answer most questions that come my way." Members of the public wishing to follow Sgt Main on twitter should search for @SgtJamesMain