Another peaceful Hallowe'en and bonfire night as anti-social behaviour falls by more than 20%

Anti-social behaviour in the Royal Borough fell by 22% over the two-week Hallowe'en and bonfire night period compared to the same time last year.

Windsor benefited from a decrease of 23% in anti-social behaviour while in Maidenhead it fell by 20%.

Over the two-week period (Monday 25 October to Monday 8 November), partners from a number of agencies used a range of methods to reduce anti-social behaviour, including:

• community wardens and police neighbourhood teams went on joint high-visibility patrols to offer reassurance to local residents
• trading standards and licensing officers carried out underage sales test purchases and visited all licensed premises offering advice to owners and managers
• posters were distributed to shops saying they would not sell flour or eggs to young people
• youth services provided an extensive range of activities for young people to enjoy
• Hallowe'en postcards were sent to certain individuals including those on acceptable behaviour contracts to remind them that bad behaviour would not be tolerated at any time.

Cllr Colin Rayner, lead member for highways and streetcare, said: "These figures are encouraging and clearly show that the no-nonsense approach has paid off. We know that anti-social behaviour is a concern for residents and we deal robustly with the small minority who cause problems. We are committed to improving things even further.

"The role played by community wardens cannot be underestimated. Working alongside their colleagues in the police proved invaluable as a reassuring and highly visible presence.

"I would like to thank all the officers and partners involved for once again ensuring that Hallowe'en and bonfire night went smoothly for young and old. I would like to thank all our residents, young and old, for helping to keep the figures low for another year. We must continue to work together to make the Royal Borough a safer place."

Gail Lumsden, anti-social behaviour co-ordinator, said: "I am extremely pleased to see these positive results from the joint working between a number of agencies from environmental protection to the housing associations to our police colleagues - not forgetting the assistance of residents who keep us informed about issues that are a concern to them.

"This year we have tried some different approaches and it is good to see these in action and working well. Every year we work hard to ensure that activities take place safely without detracting from the fun."

Ch Insp Dave Gilbert, deputy commander of Windsor and Maidenhead police area, said: "We are very encouraged by these figures. I would like to thank all partners involved in the careful execution of this well planned operation. It demonstrates how well we all work together to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour in the borough."

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