Police are preparing for a summer of binge drinking, drunken crime and antisocial behaviour in Oxfordshire.

Extra officers are being taken away from chasing burglars and car thieves to cope with drunken youths.

Chief Supt Shaun Morley said the force was having to increase the number of officers on the streets at weekends to cope with yobbery since the changes in licensing laws allowed pubs and clubs to stay open longer.

Thirty-two streets - mainly in town and city centres - are responsible for nine per cent of criminal damage for the whole county and a similar amount of violence and antisocial behaviour.

Mr Morley said: "The night-time economy and development of town centres is having a big impact on police. It is draining police resources, especially on a Friday and Saturday night.

"Now some of our investigative work, for instance burglaries or car crime or dealing with prisoners, will be moved out on to uniform foot patrol.

"Extra cops on the street will have an impact, but I'd rather not do it. I would rather have them catching the real criminals, but this is something we've got to do."

Last year, common assault increased by 49 per cent across the county and there were 10,094 reports of criminal damage, mostly due to drink-related crimes caused by youths aged between 18 and 24.

Police believe a six-week period in July and August will see an escalation of the drink-fuelled incidents.

To cope, officers from priority crime - including auto crime, burglary and robbery - will be used on night-time weekend street patrols to add extra numbers at troublespots.

All staff leave will be cancelled during the summer and 400 uniformed police will be working extra weekend shifts.

The change in licensing laws, which came into force in November 2006, has led to an increase in the night-time economy and a rise in low-level late-night crime in many of the county's market towns, such as Wantage and Abingdon.

Mr Morley said: "Changes in the law gave those leaving pubs and clubs the opportunity to leave at different times. I haven't seen any signs this has happened."

The 32 streets responsible for most of the late-night crime have not been revealed - councils would not allow police to name them.

Mr Morley said: "It is no surprise - it is the streets where we have the most pubs and nightclubs.

"Pick any town, for instance, in Didcot, it will be the Broadway, in Abingdon, it's Ock Street or Cowley Road in Oxford.

"It is always the first place where people step outside the pubs and clubs where many of the assaults and damage occur."

Police will also be patrolling inside pubs and clubs as part of the scheme.