A former police officer has taken over as a new community safety team leader funded by a Government regeneration project.

Martin Bailey has taken on the role with the eb4u scheme, a Government-funded scheme to regenerate East Brighton over a ten-year period.

The scheme has received £47.2 million to spend until 2010.

Mr Bailey, is a graduate of Sussex University where he obtained a degree in law. He joined Sussex Police in 1968 and went on to serve in many police departments throughout the county.

His last job was as a superintendent in the criminal justice department where he headed a £93 million project to revolutionise the handling and processing of arrested people.

He will now be working on community safety initiatives as a civilian in the Whitehawk and Moulsecoomb areas.

Mr Bailey will take over from John Mitchell who has taken on the role of neighbourhood manager for the scheme until May 2003 to cover maternity leave for Julia Mulloy.