EAST Hampshire District Council has announced plans to boost the fight against crime by paying for three new police community support officers (PCSO) exclusively for use in the district.

The officers, who will cost the council nearly £100,000 a year over the next three years, will be in addition to the 18 PCSOs currently assigned by Hampshire Police to the district.

Their job will be to focus on specific problems identified by the council, including anti-social behaviour, drug use, off-road driving and crimes such as the theft of garden machinery.

For full story, see this week's Liphook Herald.