Police say that a special team set up to combat anti-social behaviour and target key crime hotspots has been a big success and led to a reduction in reports of anti-social behaviour in Lydd.

The team is made up of Sergeant Neil Minter and five police officers who work alongside existing neighbourhood officers. Unlike other neighbourhood officers, the task team is not dedicated to a single ward or district, but targets their support where it is most needed.

At the start of January 2009 the team identified Lydd as a target area as the local community said they perceived young people hanging around as a problem that sometimes generated anti-social behaviour. Since then a 14-year-old has been arrested for anti-social behaviour, 84 people and vehicles have been stop checked, 11 young people have had alcohol confiscated and a vehicle was seized from a driver who had no licence or insurance.

South Kent Area Commander, Chief Superintendent Chris Hogben said: "The Neighbourhood Task Team has had a very positive impact on policing our community and provided excellent support to the existing good work being undertaken by our neighbourhood policing teams".