VANDALISM and anti social behaviour in Pewsey goes up whenever there is a drop in the number of police officers based in the village, it has been claimed.

Parish council chairman Alex Carder said the facts speak for themselves because during a recent shortage of officers at the police station crime levels rose.

Coun Carder told councillors: "It is more than coincidence that when the number of police officers is reduced there is an increase in crime."

Pewsey beat officer PC Ivor Noyce said officers had been overstretched over the past few months, with some leaving and a delay before their replacements arrived.

PC Noyce said: "There has been a bit of out with the old and in with the new. Unfortunately officers remaining had to do double the work. Consequently we were not able to do the foot patrols in the villages.

"Now we are nearly back up to strength and we are able to re-start the foot patrols in Pewsey."

Coun Denis Sweasey said there was evidence from the large number of bottles left in the play areas that youngsters were getting access to alcohol.

PC Noyce said officers had started to target the problem areas and that all the shops in the village with off-licences had been warned about selling alcohol to the under 18s.