Six youths are being targeted by police trying to solve problems with yobs in Cowley.

Antisocial behaviour has been listed as the main concern with people in the Oxford suburb - much like many of the other areas police have recently polled across the county.

Two public meetings, a survey at Oxford City Council's Cowley area committee and consultation exercises in Templar Square shopping centre were held to ask residents what they thought the police should focus on.

Top of the list was concerns over antisocial behaviour in the Cowley Marsh area - with the names of six suspects given to police to crack down on.

The other two concerns were drugs and prostitution and the associated crime from that, followed by police visibility and contactability.

Insp Richard Brown, who is in charge of policing the area, said the neighbourhood action team would be considering the use of Acceptable Behaviour Contracts and Asbos to deal with problems with antisocial behaviour - and he already had a list of half a dozen key individuals.

He said: "There are certain youths that have been identified to us that we are going to concentrate on.

"We will be dealing with any criminal and nuisance activities by these youths robustly. We hope that will send out a message to others.

"In the grand scheme of things they are not big issues, but they do cause local residents a lot of anxiety, which is obviously why they have put them at the forefront, while things like burglary or other serious crime doesn't feature."

Insp Brown said that work had already started focusing on issues relating to antisocial behaviour and the two PCSOs based in Cowley were already making a difference.

He said two more PCSOs were due to start in September and added: "Certainly people in the area will have already seen an increased police presence in Cowley Marsh and that will continue.

"Quite interestingly, we did a straw poll when people attended the first public meeting with the people involved and the issues were very similar, surprisingly."

He said residents could look forward to a four-pronged strategy involving the police, housing authorities, the Crime and Nuisance Action Team, Canact, and local councils.

Insp Brown said: "This will be a joined up approach between all the agencies and we are going to be accountable to the wider community through the Neighbourhood Action Group."

The group is due to meet again in six weeks to see what progress has been made and the priorities will be re-examined in about a year's time.