CHIPPENHAM NEWS: RESIDENTS in Chippenham fear increased police patrols have simply shifted a gang of thugs from one housing estate to another.

They say vandals are now targeting Park Avenue after police community support officers forced them out of the Redland estate where they had been running amok, spraying graffiti on walls, urinating on steps, wrecking buildings and shouting abuse at passers-by.

Park Avenue residents have reported spiralling vandalism problems to police, including damage to buildings and the trashing of recycling boxes.

One resident said: "In the past month I have been a target

of vandals. They ripped one

of my outside lights from

its moorings. A neighbour had

a trellis in his front garden totally destroyed.

"It has now become obvious that, rather than clearing up

the crime in the Redland

shops area, the police have merely moved the crime spree to Park Avenue."

Town and district councillor Nina Phillips, who arranged an emergency planning meeting with police, housing officers and North Wiltshire District Council to help stamp out the problems in Redland, said: "We have got rid of crime in Redland but it seems louts and youths are causing criminal damage elsewhere.

"It is a worry and unfortunately we are not holding the crime prevention meetings anymore because we are waiting for North Wiltshire District Council to find a new community safety officer."

Once an officer is recruited, residents hope the crime group can be reformed.

"I'm very disappointed that the district council highlights crime prevention as one of its key strategies but doesn't have anyone in place to coordinate it properly," said Cllr Phillips. "The police are doing a good job but they can't manage it on their own."

Ross Henning, the district council's lead member for community safety, said the local authority had not yet attracted a safety officer with the skills it wanted but would continue looking for a candidate.

Inspector Neil Bagnall, of Chippenham Police, said, since their introduction last year, the police community support officers continue to have a positive effect in the Pewsham and Redland areas of Chippenham and would also be used in other problem areas.

He said: "The benefit of police community support officers is that they have time to walk around a particular area and get to know local residents and shop keepers.

"We will try to increase the number of police patrols in Park Avenue but I think the efforts of the community support officers are best served in Pewsham and Redland."