RESIDENTS living in Canterbury city centre have been assured that higher profile policing, which has led to a drop in anti-social behaviour, will continue.

But the district's police chief has stopped short of guaranteeing late night patrols into the early hours.

Supt Joanna Young was speaking at the annual meeting of the St Mildred's Area Community Society. The meeting was opened to other residents' groups and licensees to discuss the ongoing disorder and vandalism which has plagued many residents in recent months.

It prompted the Kentish Gazette newspaper to launch a Call Time on Louts campaign, which was praised at the meeting by SMACS chairman John Telfer.

SMACS member John Ellaby said: "There has been an improvement for residents but there is a concern that the police may now just forget about us and pull officers away elsewhere. Can we have an assurance that will not happen unless there is a major incident?"

Terry Burke, of Stour Street, said the only way to stop low level criminality was to have a greater presence of police officers on the streets and tough sentencing by the courts.

Supt Young said the policing strategy to cut anti-social behaviour would continue but it was not economic or possible for every area to have its own constant police presence.

She said: "We know that people are reassured by visible policing and I am encouraging my officers to get out of their cars and patrol on foot when possible.

"From June 1, I will be able to add another officer to the city centre beat team and we also have a bid in for three new community support officers, one of who would be for the city centre."

She added: "It is not reasonable to shut down our nightclubs, but we have to look at other issues like transport and toilet facilities to help find solutions."

Supt Young also conceded that the police response to phone calls via the centralised call centre was not working as well as it could.