A SQUAD of eight street wardens are set to begin patrolling three Swindon housing estates next year.

Their responsibilities will include making people feel safer on the streets and in their homes.

Park North, Park South and Walcot were identified earlier this year as suitable locations for the Government's Street Warden's initiative.

The £536,000 bill for the two-year scheme is to be met jointly by the council and central Government.

Members of the council cabinet agreed at a meeting to match the £268,000 allocated by Whitehall.

Council leader Mike Bawden (Con, Old Town and Lawn) said: "I do wish Parks and Walcot success in this."

But he warned that the authority was desperately short of the money necessary to back such schemes.

National studies have found that the fear of crime, rather than crime itself, is often at the root of uneasiness among the general public.

The Government hopes that the street wardens will be a reassuring presence and is to introduce thousands of wardens to Britain's streets as part of a shake-up of the police service.

The new breed of patrol officers will have the power to use "reasonable force" to detain suspects, hand out on-the-spot fines for litter louts, stop vehicles and direct traffic.

Prime Minister Tony Blair first announced the new initiative in April and allocated £25m to the programme over the next three years.

Home Secretary David Blunkett was on the Hungerford estate in North London on Wednesday this week to launch the scheme and other changes to the police force.

He was accompanied around the estate by community wardens Wilfred Emanuel and Paul Buzsaki.

At the end of the two-year scheme in Swindon, further funding will have to be agreed if it is to continue or be expanded.

As well as the eight wardens, the Swindon scheme will include supervisors and administration staff.

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