During the election, I promised more action on anti-social behaviour and crime generally. So I am very pleased to report that Donna Jones, our excellent Police and Crime Commissioner has decided to spend a whopping £750,000 on anti-social behaviour wardens to patrol well-known hotspots in and around our town.

I have worked closely with Donna over the last few years and she understands the case for more investment in Andover. I made it clear to her that we need more visible uniformed presence in areas like the town centre and around our train station. These specialist wardens, working closely with our new police officers, will make a big difference.

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Kit MalthouseKit Malthouse Thanks to Donna’s emphasis on partnership working, we are also seeing results in bringing down serious violence across Hampshire. We now have a Violence Reduction Partnership, which brings together the police, probation, health authorities, youth services, and local authorities. Their job is to confront serious violence by addressing the root causes.

The team has been delivering interventions for under 25s in order to steer them away from knife crime, serious violence and exploitation. There have been over 300 events and workshops in the community and much like the ASB wardens, the Partnership is identifying serious violence hotspots so that police resources can be deployed more effectively. As a result, we have seen a 4.8 per cent reduction in serious violence locally.

I have devoted much of my adult life to the fight against crime nationally and locally, and despite the change of government, my efforts will continue in North West Hampshire. With the more than 600 new police officers recruited in Hampshire by the last government, we are beginning to see a real difference on our streets. I will do my best to make sure this progress continues.