Volunteer custody visitors have been thanked for ensuring people arrested are safe and well while behind bars in Thames Valley.

Between April 2008 and March 2009, the 83-strong team of custody visitors in the region made 439 visits – more than eight per week on average – to custody suites throughout the region.

During the visits, 1,154 people were checked, with 352 declining a visit. Other detainees who were unable to take part as a result of being asleep or incapacitated had their custody records checked to ensure standards of care had been met.

Custody visitors volunteer for the role through the Thames Valley Police Authority. They are independent from the police and tasked with ensuring detainees understand their rights, that they have been offered appropriate food and drink, and that they are warm enough.

To mark National Volunteers Week, custody visitors have been thanked for their hard work by Khan Juna, Chairman of Thames Valley Police Authority.

Co-ordinator Sue Gardner said: “Custody visitors carry out an absolutely vital role. They ensure anyone in the cells, most of whom have not been charged with an offence, are kept safe, warm and well.

“They act as the eyes and ears of the public behind the closed doors of the custody cells and their contribution ensures that standards remain as high as possible.

“Custody visitors are completely independent of the police and most detainees are happy to talk to them once they realise they are there to check on their welfare.”

Thames Valley Police Authority Chairman, Khan Juna said: “It is a rewarding role, but custody visitors can face difficult situations. It can be a tough job, often completed in unsociable hours and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their efforts.”

Visits are regularly made to 12 designated police stations in Thames Valley: Abingdon, Aylesbury, Banbury, High Wycombe, Loddon Valley, Maidenhead, Milton Keynes, Newbury, St Aldates in Oxford, Reading, Slough and Witney.