TEST Valley's popular neighbourhood warden scheme is to carry on, despite the withdrawal of government funding at the end of the month.

Ten warden jobs in Romsey, North Baddesley, Nursling and Andover will continue as council bosses pledge to find the extra £111,400 themselves.

The vow comes as figures are released showing that, over the past 18 months, neighbourhood wardens have attended more than 1,000 incidents and have cut antisocial behaviour by up to 70 per cent in some areas.

The future for the Test Valley wardens had been in doubt after the government revealed that it was pulling its match funding of more than £100,000.

Staff who had contracts until March 2006 had begun looking for new jobs because of the uncertainty over their future.

But this week's ruling comes as a big boost.

Councillors charged with making the decision heard that 50 per cent of residents in patrolled areas said they felt safer, and crime had fallen 30 per cent in some areas since the scheme started up two years ago.

Neighbourhood wardens have helped to save more than £65,000 that would otherwise have been spent on police and council officers' time.