GAZETTE & HERALD: A SECRET police operation was undertaken in Corsham over the weekend in a bid to reduce the amount of anti-social behaviour on the streets.

Ten police officers patrolled the town centre on Friday and Saturday night in what was hailed a huge success by Sgt Dave Eddy.

He said there was a significant increase in police numbers and a major reduction in reported crime.

"Sometimes it's more and sometimes it's less but on average we have about 10 calls and we didn't have any," he said.

He stressed the operation was not just to seek out teens causing trouble, but to clamp down on all anti-social behaviour in the town.

Police officers patrolled on foot, in police cars and on bicycles between 7pm until the streets went quiet at around midnight on both nights.

Two arrests were made on Friday, but there was no trouble on Saturday and the streets were practically empty.

Sgt Eddy said: "There's a large group of youngsters who have got a lack of respect for people's property and for adults, and what we are reinforcing is that they have got to respect people otherwise they will get into trouble with the law."

On Friday night one juvenile was arrested for a public order offence after an incident in Forward Video in the Martingate Centre.

Sgt Eddy said two youths were arguing with staff in the shop over phone credit.

"They didn't get what they wanted so one of them stormed out and knocked a stand of DVDs over on his way," he said.

One male in his early twenties was also arrested for possession of a class A drug.

In other incidents alcohol was confiscated from three youths at 7.30pm, 8.30pm and 9pm, on Friday on the path behind The Tynings.

Sgt Eddy said: "On Saturday the number of youths on the streets was significantly reduced but we had just as many officers."

He said the fact that it was very quiet it was either down to the pouring rain or because youngsters knew that police officers were out and about in the town.

"There were no problems or trouble whatsoever in the centre.

"It was a success and we will be looking to run operations like that in the future," he said.

He said that he was particularly pleased that so many members of the public supported the operation and thought it was a positive thing that officers were out in force.

He said that police on patrol also find it helpful when young people speak to them and tell them what they would like to be doing.

Sgt Eddy said: "A lot of them were very interested in what the police were doing.

"A number of the youngsters said a lot of the problem comes down to a lack of things to do in Corsham."

However, he said, Bath Festival was staged last weekend and although some young people travelled into Bath for the action, many didn't bother at all.