UNDERAGE drinking, vandalism and intimidation in a picturesque Bradford on Avon Park have led to a new park ranger being brought in.

Barton Farm Country Park has proved to be a magnet for young people to hang out and drink on summer evenings and Wiltshire County Council has decided to take action, appointing a senior countryside ranger to patrol the area.

The appointment has been welcomed by town councillors, who say they need support in their battle to keep the park clean and safe.

Cllr Peter Leach said: "We have got to have someone from the county council that is responsible for this park.

"There's not much for teenagers to do around the town in the summer evenings and inevitably they end up drinking there and have been disruptive in the past.

"There have been issues of vandalism there and some of the youngsters there can be intimidating and it probably puts people off going down to the park on a nice summer's evening.

"I'm delighted that a ranger is going to be hired because this park has always been the county council's responsibility and in the past it hasn't paid that much attention to it."

The new ranger, who is expected to start work in the next two months, will be responsible for nine other countryside sites in Wiltshire but the country park will be the main focus of attention.

Wiltshire county council spokesman Adam Butcher said: "Our new ranger will be essentially involved in three main activities in managing and developing our 10 countryside sites in Wiltshire, the principal one being Barton Farm."

A Bradford police spokesman welcomed the appointment of a ranger as a positive step but said people should not be afraid to make use of the park.

He said: "This park is not a no-go zone and crime figures covering that area don't suggest that there are any more problems there than anywhere else in the town.

"Any problems there are linked to a small minority who use the park.

"The park is quite a unique spot in that it's very scenic and a nice place on summer evenings yet it's close to people's homes, which may be why it is perceived to be a problem."

As well as maintaining and managing the park and making sure it is safe for visitors, the new ranger will also be involved in education and training for local groups and schoolchildren and providing maps and information boards.