police Inspector Neville Sheldrick has promised that his beat managers will be available to deal with any problems in Malvern's parks this summer.

But he warned that 24-hour policing of Victoria Park and Priory Park was not an option and he urged those responsible for their upkeep to look at the possibility of re-employing park keepers.

"Certainly last summer we had less of a problem than the previous year but it's summer again and the two parks in the town will attract the youngsters," he said.

Insp Sheldrick told a Police Community Consultative meeting on Wednesday that fixed penalty tickets had been handed out to wrong-doers in the past.

He said: "I can't provide 24-hour policing in Victoria Park or Priory Park, we're not park keepers. But if we could have park keepers it may well be a solution.

"We do keep Victoria Park as a hotspot. It's visited and we do go if we're called, which our records show is very little."

Insp Sheldrick said beat managers would be available more frequently over the summer period.

Mike Schuster, client officer at Malvern Hills Districy Council, said there were no plans to employ park keepers Priory Park.

"We've a team of security people who go round on Friday and Saturday evenings but there are no dedicated park personnel who are there 24 hours a day," he said.