FOUR new community safety wardens will soon be helping keep the streets of the Caerphilly county borough safer.

An extra £150,000 has been allocated in the local authority's budget for the new appointments in the next financial year.

The council also hopes to repeat this funding for the next three years. It is not yet known where the new wardens will be based.

Deputy council leader Gerald Jones said: "Making our communities safer is a priority for council tax payers as we have consistently discovered.

"This administration has made community safety a key issue for the council. Our community safety wardens have begun to work across our communities and their partnership working with Gwent Police has had a marked effect on anti-social behaviour."

Partnership chairman Councillor Paul Ford said: "I very much welcome this extension of the provision of community safety wardens.

"They act as look-outs for all law-abiding citizens, helping to underpin our sense of community and offering reassurance to more vulnerable members of our society. With their ranks increased, they'll now be in a stronger position to combat anti-social behaviour which can blight our communities if left unchecked."

The first eight wardens started patrolling county borough streets, parks and estates in November 2004, tackling anti-social behaviour hotspots and reassuring the public by reducing the fear of crime and deterring crime.

They do not have the powers of arrest but can intervene in criminal behaviour and work in conjunction with the police and other agencies. They are highly visible in their distinctive yellow and black uniforms and act as the eyes and ears of the community.

They also help instil community spirit in people, support vulnerable residents and endeavour to clean up the environment.