PETERSFIELD Police are appealing for more voluntary Special Constables after a campaign by traders to combat rising rowdiness and vandalism in the town centre.

Police will be launching their appeal for more Specials with a visit from the Hampshire Police mobile recruitment vehicle on Saturday.

The unit will be outside the Co-op in the Square tomorrow morning from 9 am to 1 pm, when experts will be on hand to answer queries and take applications for Special Constables.

The police move is the latest measure in the wake of a special meeting called to launch the campaign against rising violence and vandalism in Petersfield particularly on weekend evenings.

It was organised by Angie Ryan, owner of the Eden Brasserie in the High Street, who fears that Petersfield's growing reputation for crime, especially on Friday and Saturday evenings, could affect businesses if people decide to boycott the town.

Insp Steve Sargent appealed for more voluntary Special Constables at the meeting and is following up the appeal with a visit from the recruitment vehicle.

He told The Herald: "Our appeal for more Specials is a result of the call from the traders for more policing of drunks and vandals on weekend evenings. This is coupled with the impossibility of the Petersfield Police station getting any more regular staff due to greater demands on officers in other towns."

At present, Petersfield has around six Special Constables, and the current appeal for more help is being fronted by 24-year-old Petersfield Woman Special Constable Adele Thomas.

Adele also works as station inquiry officer at Petersfield.

As a Special she is involved in most of the work undertaken by regular police officers, including attending road incidents, domestic issues, dealing with drunks and vandals, as well as attending carnivals and fetes. Adele also runs the highly successful SNAP discos for teenagers at the Taro Centre.

She enjoys her work so much she is about to join the regular police force.

"I got frustrated being an inquiry officer in the station on the desk. I wanted to see what the other side of being a police officer was about from the point of view of those who attended the incidents I was taking the information about. By becoming a Special it allowed me to see both sides of policing and now I'm looking forward to joining the regular police force."

She said Specials worked for around 10 hours a week, "but they can do as many or as few hours as they like and there are many different aspects to be involved in."

"At the moment there are about six of us working as Specials in Petersfield, but we are hoping to hear from more people who are keen and enthusiastic, and who want to put something back into their community."

The Police Authority Community Consultation group for East Hampshire (PACC) will also be in Petersfield

Square tomorrow from 9 am to 1 pm in conjunction with the Specials recruitment promotion.

Members of PACC will be consulting townspeople on local crime issues and

asking for their views about policing matters in the Petersfield area to encourage public co-operation with the police in preventing crime.

The results of the exercise are then fed back via the Police Authority to the Hampshire Constabulary to be incorporated in policing strategies for the coming year.