A ban on gangs of youths congregating on an Oxford estate has been lifted amid cautious hopes yob-rule has been broken.

A dispersal zone was put in place for 18 months in Rose Hill but has been scrapped because crime and antisocial problems have dropped.

People living around The Oval, where many teenagers congregated, said antisocial behaviour had fallen but warned the situation was far from perfect.

And police said they would still be out in force in Rose Hill to ensure gangs stayed away.

Kuldip Turna, owner of the Costcutter store in The Oval, said: "It is probably 10 or 20 per cent better but it is not finished yet.

"We are very appreciative of the police and they come to see us regularly.

"But they have to take more action and see it as a long process.

"Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night, we get children trying to get cigarettes and alcohol or trying to steal things from the shop."

Mr Turna said a police base, which will be set up in the estate within a month, could not come soon enough. He said: "It should be set up as soon as possible so it is in place before the trouble starts up in the summer."

Ruth Wilkinson, a Thames View Road resident and member of the neighbourhood action group, said: "It's now much safer to walk around The Oval and people on the estate are communicating with the PCSOs and street wardens. We have not cracked it yet, but if we can keep police staffing levels up, we are making an improvement."

Neighbourhood lead Inspector Phil Standish said: "The dispersal authority is one power in a whole raft of different policing options.

"The amount of recorded antisocial behaviour is such that the decision has been taken to review it.

"That's not to say if things change, and I hope they won't, we can't reinstate it."

Insp Standish praised the work of police community support officers and youth workers.

He said: "There is clearly an air of optimism on the whole estate."

Meanwhile, Thames Valley Police have welcomed calls to toughen up laws on confiscating alcohol from youths.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith is considering tougher powers to take alcohol from under 18s and removing the need to have "reasonable suspicion" they have been drinking or are going to drink it.

Police will be carrying out extra patrols around Oxfordshire next week during half-term targeting underage drinkers.