Three solutions have been put forward to combat the problems of crime and anti-social behaviour in Upton.

These include providing facilities to keep young people off the streets, expanding the town's Neighbourhood Watch scheme and installing CCTV.

The ideas were hammered out during a debate at the annual town meeting, when residents put police on the spot.

The meeting heard that only nine per cent of the 415 people who returned a town council survey were satisfied with the way the town was being policed.

Facing questions from the public were Insp Sean Kent and beat manager PC Mark Taylor.

Insp Kent said police statistics showed crime in Upton had fallen from 233 offences last year, to 183 in the year ending March 31.

The need for increased police presence to deal with vandalism and anti-social behaviour, particularly on weekend nights, was the subject of several questions.

Insp Kent said there were a limited number of police officers and when an officer on patrol dealt with an offender, they were taken away from the streets.

"That, unfortunately, is one of the perennial curses of policing," he said, adding that community support officer Emma Burrows was working to increase police presence in town.

John Lakeman, chairman of the Malvern Hills Police Community Consultative Group, said he would like to see a stronger Neighbourhood Watch scheme in Upton. The existing scheme has only seven co-ordinators, compared to 15 in the much smaller Hanley Castle.

Insp Kent agreed. He said "If we're going to make a difference the difference is made as a community.

"We all have to share information that we have. If we don't they'll be massive pieces of the jigsaw missing."

Former Scout leader Robert Thompkins said the way to solve problems of anti-social behaviour was to give youngsters something to do. He said: "We need a paid youth team. I'm sure in years to come it will pay off."

PC Mark Taylor supported the idea of providing youth facilities.

"A lot of youngsters feel people in this town don't want anything to do with them," he said.

Hanley Castle Youth Club was cited as an example of a successful project. The town council will look at installing CCTV in Upton after its cost and effectiveness were discussed at the meeting.