POLICE in Warminster say a one-month trial targeting anti-social behaviour in the town seems to have been a success.

Community support officer (CSO) Ellie Joslin spent November based in the area around the town's Westleigh estate meeting residents and gathering information about the problems they faced.

CSOs are a recent Government initiative to stamp out loutish behaviour and support police in their work.

Warminster officers will use the information Miss Joslin gained as part of the crack down on yobs in the town.

Residents are now filling in questionnaires about the trial, to get their views but police have already had some good feedback.

The deadline for returning the forms is the end of the month and police will compile a report on the exercise in January.

Insp Geoff Miles hopes to have a full time CSO in place in Warminster next year

and the town council has already offered to partly fund the post.

If the evidence from residents' questionnaires proves conclusive, Warminster stands a good chance of joining Trowbridge, Melksham and Chippenham as the only towns in the police division with CSOs.

Insp Miles said: "The early indications show it was very positive.

"A few letters have come in saying what a difference it has made over the one month trial."