ANOTHER 15 police community support officers will take to the streets of Gwent next month.

The officers, known as PCSOs, are among 36 recruits who will join the force as a result of a successful bid to the Home Office to swell their numbers.

There will be a total of 86 PCSOs in Gwent once they have all started work.

They will be allocated to various stations across the three divisions in the Gwent force area.

Assistant Chief Constable Bill Horne said: "I am delighted to welcome our new PCSOs into the force. Since their introduction in February 2003, their colleagues have made a significant impact on the communities of Gwent.

"These officers have been extremely visible and have already had an impact on the quality of life in the areas that they patrol."

One of the new officers will be Leanne Pocknell, aged 24 and from Blaenavon, who will be working out of the Ebbw Vale.

A former officer worker in an Abergavenny joinery firm, she says she is looking forward to starting work and serving the area.

"I am really looking forward to making a difference in the community," she told the Argus.

"I have thought about joining the regulars and this will be good experience. I've had five weeks of training and have really enjoyed it." And Jeff Dugmore, who is 35, will be joining officers at Blackwood Police Station.

The former factory worker, who lives in Llanhilleth, said becoming a PCSO was a real career change for him.

"I am looking forward to working with young people," the father-of-two said.