LITTER, dog fouling, abandoned vehicles, graffiti and fly-posting are to be targeted by a new City Patrol team being launched in Southampton.

The city council initiative will see six uniformed city enforcement officers patrolling the streets, outside normal office hours, to crackdown on nuisance behaviour.

Working closely with the city's anti-social behaviour team, the officers will scour Southampton in vans, on foot or on bicycles to provide a co-ordinated response and tackle all forms of anti-social behaviour.

The move comes after a crackdown on unruly and drunken behaviour in the city was called for as quickly as possible by a council scrutiny panel following the publication of a report into antisocial behaviour in Southampton. Key recommendations in the report, which was revealed in the Daily Echo two months ago, include a package of measures designed to tackle heavy drinking by youngsters in the city.

The panel said alcohol problems needed to be taken just as seriously as drug abuse and a drug and alcohol team needed to be set up to tackle the teenage problem. Another suggestion was to produce a booklet giving advice to residents about dealing with anti-social behaviour.

Cabinet member for communities and regeneration Liz Mizon, who helped spearhead the council's report into antisocial behaviour this year, said: "I have tried to put alcohol abuse further up the agenda. I thought we had a wider actual problem with alcohol because it affects more young people."

The antisocial behaviour team is supported by the police and has tactical responsibility for targeting disorder hot spots and known serious and persistent offenders involved in nuisance behaviour.

City Patrol team members can issue fixed £50 penalty fines for litter and dog fouling offences, respond to nuisance behaviour complaints from the public and provide support to neighbourhood wardens. If you have a complaint about antisocial behaviour call: Freephone Actionline 0800 159 5959 for litter, dog fouling, abandoned vehicles, rubbish dumping, fly-posting and graffiti.

Environmental Health 023 8083 2531 for noise problems and stray dogs.

Antisocial Behaviour team, Sgt Christine Woods and team leader 023 8083 2662.