THE TOP police officer in a Gwent town says more officers are needed to patrol its streets.

Inspector Allyn Richards, of Abergavenny police, said he could do with double the 32 officers he already has.

On some estates, residents are patrolling the streets themselves. Officers in the town often have to travel to Monmouth to provide cover because there is also a shortage of bobbies there - but this leaves Abergavenny short.

Inspector Richards recently met Monmouth inspector James Walker to discuss how to best police the north of the county with the 50 available officers. Both say the situation is "less than ideal".

Inspector Richards, who is currently four officers down, said: "What we can't realistically do is satisfy the public expectation of seeing officers on the beat.

"We have 32 constables in Abergavenny, but I could probably use double that amount." Inspector Walker has fewer constables and is also under-strength.

He said: "We have a couple of officers restricted to light duties after returning from illness and others who've been transferred and not replaced.

"And with new working time directives we've also had to add another shift each week - meaning even less officers per shift." Now Ron Bell, development co-ordinator of Abergavenny Community House, has helped set up a Neighbourhood Watch project on three estates - Rother Avenue, Underhill and Hillside.

Participating residents don orange coats and patrol their streets at night with whistles and alarms hoping to ward off troublesome youngsters.

Mr Bell said: "Police have told residents at meetings that they must prioritise the town centre - that they don't have the resources to send constables to estates. "But residents are sick of being broken into."

Steve Hughes, 61, of Rother Avenue Estate, added: "We filled a room with volunteers when we set it up before Christmas. We'd had five break-ins in as many weeks.

"It's quieter in the summer evenings, but there's still the danger of a family going away and returning to find they've had burglars.

"We check the parks for needles because there's drugs here too. There just isn't the police numbers to do all this."

Abergavenny councillor Jane Foulser said she hoped to set up a similar project in the Priory ward.

She said: "The situation here is pretty grim. The police are doing all they can, but are stretched to a tremendous extent.

"I'm in the process of setting up something, particularly in the area of the swimming pool. "It's being broken into on a regular basis, there's late night drinking and, we believe, drug-taking."

PICTURED: Stephen Hughes with hs daughter, Susie Llewellyn.