PEOPLE fighting crime on an Oxford estate have been given a shot in the arm as two police community support officers hit the beat.

Luke Westell and Vicki Channon, both 23, started work as Thames Valley Police announced a six-month extension to the Rose Hill dispersal zone.

The officers are intended to be the first port of call for residents concerned about neighbourhood problems.

They cannot arrest people, but can issue fixed penalty notices, detain people for up to 30 minutes and split up groups gathering in the dispersal zone.

Mr Westell, who lives in Didcot, said: "We are here for residents to talk to, to deal with antisocial behaviour and criminal damage and, basically, as a deterrent to those who want to commit crime.

"The reaction has been very good so far - people are happy to have us here."

Ms Channon, from Abingdon, said: "We are a first port of call and can advise people, as well as reassure them. We work closely with the street wardens and we are all trying to do the same thing, which is to make the place a nice place to live."

The pair trained on Blackbird Leys, where three PCSOs started work 18 months ago. There are already two in Barton and three covering East Oxford.

Graham Pink, neighbourhood Sergeant for Rose Hill, Littlemore and Iffley, stressed that the PCSOs were not a replacement for policemen.

He added: "We're not taking away a police presence here, we're actually increasing it.

"We will still have our regular police patrols, but by having Luke and Vicki here we will have extra coverage, which can only be better for residents."

He said it was all part of the effort to improve life on the estate, which also included the renewal of the current dispersal zone, which was approved on Wednesday.

The original dispersal zone - Oxford's first - came into effect in July last year. Police say it has been successful in tackling antisocial behaviour and vandalism, but needs to remain in place for at least another six months.

Sgt Pink said: "While it is working well, there are still incidents of antisocial behaviour.

"We want to be able to use the dispersal authority powers where appropriate to stop any serious incidents."

The conditions of the renewed zone remain the same, but the boundary no longer stretches to Iffley Lock, which is not now considered a problem area.