RESIDENTS on the Redland estate in Chippenham say there has been a marked improvement in youngsters' behaviour since two community support officers were stationed there.

The officers were introduced to Pewsham in April, as part of a nationwide pilot policing scheme, after Chippenham police received endless complaints about the behaviour of youngsters gathering in the main shopping area in Lodge Road.

At the beginning of November they began patrols in Redland to try and curb anti-social behaviour among young people.

Residents had complained to the town and district council about graffiti, foul language and littering.

North Wiltshire district councillor Nina Phillips set up a meeting with the police and housing officers, and police decided it was time to send in their trouble shooting community officers. They have been talking to youngsters and explaining why their behaviour is unacceptable.

"It has been very successful. I am delighted that the police have managed to make a difference," said Coun Phillips.

"There has also been more lighting around the side of the shops, hopefully discouraging bad behaviour."

Resident Karen Stevens, who lives above a shop in Redland, said the presence of the community officers had improved matters considerably.

"It has definitely got better," she said. "We still have a few problems with the kids and a car was vandalised just last week, and it's still out there with broken windows and slashed tyres."

She said that before the officers arrived groups of up to 40 young people were congregating outside the shops, with parents even dropping off their children there and collecting them later. "The battle goes on but there is a marked improvement," she said.

At one point youngsters were risking life and limb running over the shop roofs.

Community support officer Mark McIntyre, who is known by the children he deals with as Mac, said like many residential areas in Chippenham, there is a lack of real activities for children in Redland. As a result they gather around the shops, skateboarding and generally making a nuisance of themselves.

"We have been very impressed with our early meetings with the children," he said. "Residents do not want to hear children making noise and swearing at night and we will be clamping down on that.

"As we have done in Pewsham, we have been letting the youngsters know that this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated."