ELDERLY people scared to walk the streets of Stourport should feel safer as more police officers patrol the town, it has been claimed.

Five PCs have joined the Stourport force since July to boost the number of front line staff to 16.

And up to seven more officers could swell the ranks of the Kidderminster division's rural areas - which include Stourport - by March.

Rural policing team commander Alan Baldwin explained the new officers, and new shift patterns, had enabled increased foot patrols.

He said the key aim was to reduce the "fear of crime" with "increased visibility" policing.

He added: "We're looking to help everyone, particularly vulnerable people with an increased fear of crime - elderly people, young people, and the homeless.

"And we now have two officers dedicated to working the town centre."

Muriel Smith, the 69-year-old chairman of Club 55 Plus - which runs day and evening activities in the Social Day Centre off New Road - said many of its 100 members refused to walk the streets after dark.

"It's got very intimidating to go up to the centre in the evening."

She added: "You can see gangs about and I wouldn't like to walk past some of them. I don't feel safe walking up the street and a lot of the members feel the same way.

"None of them would walk through town to come to anything."

Mrs Smith claimed she was having trouble selling tickets for an evening event on November 2 because people "don't like coming out".

But she said she was hopeful more foot patrols would encourage people to leave their homes.

The chairman of Wyre Forest Community Safety Partnership, Brian Glass, hailed the arrival of the new officers - and said the elderly would soon notice a difference.

"I don't want senior citizens saying to me they're frightened to walk up the streets because of louts - and at the end of the day that's what's happening.

"It's totally unacceptable."

He added: "Anti-social behaviour will now be drastically reduced.

"Plans are in position to deal with it."