Hampshire's chief constable turned the tables on worried pensioners concerned about antisocial behaviour.

Speaking at the county's Age Concern AGM in Winchester, he said that tackling antisocial behaviour started at home. The conference was entitled "World Of Worry: reducing the fear of crime" and Paul Kernaghan was a key speaker, along with the minister for crime reduction, Hazel Blears.

In their separate addresses, they reassured delegates that crime levels were falling, especially burglary rates and they shared ways members of the public could help officers in their continuing efforts to crack down on antisocial behaviour and distraction burglaries in particular.

Mr Kernaghan said he was aware residents wanted a real reduction in antisocial behaviour and said the problem needed to be dealt with by police and landlords, as well as parents and grandparents.

"If someone is inebriated in the street, that is antisocial behaviour. These are your children and grandchildren and curbing antisocial behaviour starts at home."

He outlined initiatives being used to tackle the problem, which included parenting controls, parenting orders, anti-social behaviour orders and dispersal orders.

"Looking at it from my perspective, I have two million people to protect and they are protected by 3,700 officers. The only way to work is in partnership with local government and other groups."

"If the licence for a new nightclub is granted, I have to police that. I can understand the council's view - the club would increase rate revenue, employment and add to the local economy, but there are problems with alcohol and it is my officers who have to deal with these problems."

He went on: "All social classes indulge in drinking, which leads to antisocial behaviour and violence. Winchester is a prosperous city and we will encounter alcohol on the streets.

"Over the summer, Hampshire Constabulary took the lead in a national initiative to clamp down on drink-related behaviour. There is a long way to go in policing licensing laws, but it is something that needs to be addressed."

Both he and Hazel Blears highlighted that the perception of crime was very different to the reality of it.

The minister said: "Crime is decreasing and the chance of becoming a victim of crime is extremely low, about the same as it was 25 years ago. The most likely victims are men in their 20s. We have had a drive on antisocial behaviour to try to combat the activities of a minority.

"We have introduced Anti Social Behaviour Orders, we are cracking down on the selling on alcohol to under 18s and binge drinking and have introduced dispersal orders, which have been very successful."

Afterwards, one of the audience members, Lesley Bywater, chairman of Age Concern, Southampton, said: "Older people tell me they feel younger people encroach their personal space."

* Police are set to launch a new initiative to combat night-time disorder. WAND - Winchester Against Night-time Disorder - will involve regular consultation between the city council, the health authorities, and city residents' associations.