Community Safety Wardens have been deployed in Belfast's Beechmount area to provide a visible presence for the community, and help deter anti-social behaviour.

Lending his support to the 12-week scheme, the city's Lord Mayor Tom Hartley said: "Our roaming wardens have enjoyed the overwhelming support of residents across the city in the different neighbourhoods they have been patrolling to date, and I have no doubt their presence in the Beechmount area will be very welcome.

"The aim of the scheme is to provide a visible presence for the community but also to provide a level of reassurance for residents and to help deter anti-social behaviour.

"The wardens also play an important role in identifying issues which are perhaps unique to that particular part of the city, and helping to provide solutions to those problems by working with the community and in partnership with other agencies such as the PSNI and BELB"

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The wardens will be working closely with representatives of the Falls Community Council and Beechmount Residents Association, according to the council.

Dennis Gregg, chairman of Beechmount Residents Association, said: "We've met with the wardens already and we're looking forward to working with them in the area. Beechmount, like other parts of the city, isn't without its problems and we think the wardens will make a very positive impact.

"Underage drinking is a particular problem and we'll be working with the wardens to try to address things like graffiti, and basically just have a visible presence in the area that will help to prevent anti-social behaviour."

The roaming wardens scheme is one of many Belfast City Council initiatives to help tackle anti-social behaviour in the city, aimed at creating a 'Safer City'.

The project was developed following research carried out by Belfast Community Safety Partnership and Belfast City Council in 2005 which identified anti-social behaviour as a major concern for the city's residents.

It builds on the success of the warden scheme in the Holyland area of Belfast.

(PR/JM)