WARDENS could soon be patrolling the yachting mecca of Hamble in a bid to crack down on a catalogue of youth nuisance, vandalism and graffiti that is plaguing the village.

Hamble Parish Council is currently looking at setting aside funding to pay for a community warden or a police community safety officer.

Last year the parish authority appealed to youth workers to help put the lid on anti-social behaviour which saw vandals target the parish dinghy park, where 14 boat covers were slashed and a boat used by the Royal British Legion for outings for the disabled was damaged.

There were also attacks on public toilets at the parish quay, which forced closure of the facilities, while graffiti and human excrement was daubed on memorial seats on the foreshore.

Other problems involved drinking on recreation grounds resulting in broken glass being spread across play areas, interference with boats tied up at the public pontoon and using the Hamble-Warsash ferry as a late-night toilet. Problems have continued and last month, a dozen incidents of vandalism and criminal damage to parish council property were reported within the space of six days.

They ranged from graffiti being scrawled on play equipment to beer bottles being smashed around the car park and pavilion at the Mount Pleasant recreation ground where the pavilion's roof tiles were damaged and the verandah used as a toilet.

The parish council is looking at re-siting the shelter and basketball posts, possibly at the Mount Pleasant recreation ground. Parish clerk Kate Cullen said the move to investigate employing wardens had been sparked by the "endless" problems.