BEARS are a neccessity for the cops who deal with the county’s youngest crime victims.

Now that close-knit team needs knitters to get weaving on the woolly teddies that soak up so much sadness and suffering.

Those teddies will go to every young crime victim or witness that comes to the specialist investigators of the family protecton unit (FPU).

On current figures around 125 children will be interviewed by FPU officers a year. Most of them will be recounting – from as young as three years of age – harrowing evidence of serious sexual, physical or emotional abuse.

Many will have survived in homes where brutal domestic violence became the norm.

Ahead of their first interview, each child arriving at FPU will be asked if they want to pick a bear with whom they can share the investigation process as a special friend and keep afterwards to enjoy good times too.

Detective Inspector Martyn Barnes, of Herefordshire CID, saw how well the bears worked for another police service and thought they do equally well here.

“What we need are community groups or even individuals willing to take on the making of the bears as a project. We’ll supply the pattern, all they have to do is the knitting,” said DI Barnes.

Anyone ready to help make the FPU bears can contact DI Barnes at Hereford central police station on 0300 3333000.