Police took to the football pitch with youths on a troubled estate in a bid to bolster relationships.

Officers from Hounslow Heath Safer Neighbourhood Team played alongside about 20 young people in the caged games area in Benson Close, Hounslow, on Tuesday (April 29).

PCSO Daniel Cheeseman said he organised the match, which ended 4-3, in an attempt to build trust in the force among people living on the estate.

"We wanted to get a bit more engagement between the police and people living on the estate, where there have been a few issues," he said.

A football event organised by Hounslow Police takes place in Benson Close, Hounslow. PCSO Daniel Cheeseman

"Hopefully this will make people more willing to come forward with any issues or any information they may have.

"Sometimes when you go on an estate people will just scatter, but after the game on Tuesday people were really engaging with us.

"Some of the young players were quite talented and we're hoping to organise similar matches for other estates, such as Midsummer Avenue."

A football event organised by Hounslow Police takes place in Benson Close, Hounslow. Alyan Ahmed, eight

Relations between police and young people across London have often been frosty, particularly in the wake of the 2011 riots.

Hounslow's former borough commander Carl Bussey has spoken about how people in the borough have sometimes been reluctant to come forward as witnesses.

Dave Cox, former chairman of Hounslow Federation of Tenants and Residents Associations (HFTRA), has previously described Benson Close as a hotspot for drug-dealing.