BOBBIES are working 14-hour days to patrol the streets and keep residents safe against terrorist attack according to one of the borough's top police officers.

Chief Inspector Steve Harrison said this week that in the wake of the current war on terrorism, which began on Sunday with the bombing of Afghanistan, residents should rest assured that policing is at full strength.

"Although we have been sending officers to Heathrow Airport and Central London daily, we also have an additional 25 officers per day on foot patrol in the borough of Hounslow than there would be normally.

"Officers are being called to work on their rest days and are working between five and seven extended hours of duty over and above their normal eight-hour day," he said.

"We have identified the most vulnerable places and areas, in particular the mosque and the Sikh temple, and we have been sending officers to liaise with residents to try and allay their fears as much as possible.

"One of the biggest benefits to increased foot patrols is that we can deter and detect offences where they occur by showing a visible police presence."

The chief inspector also said that despite the area having such a high ethnic population, residents must not worry that the borough is vulnerable to attack.

"There has been an increase in racially-motivated incidences in Hounslow and across the country, but thankfully they have been on a relatively small scale.

"However, I would like to reassure residents that there has been no evidence or intelligence to suggest that an attack is either possible or likely to happen in this area."