Oxford's street wardens were today beginning to patrol the city's Barton and Wood Farm estates.

Senior warden Bob Turner is leading a team of wardens dealing with low level crime, antisocial behaviour and environmental problems.

One of their priorities will be getting to know the communities on the estates.

There are 15 street wardens, working in three teams of five in Oxford. They have been employed by Oxford City Council since 2003, in Blackbird Leys, Greater Leys, Littlemore and Iffley.

Wood Farm has had frequent problems with youths causing trouble and intimidating residents, par- ticularly at Foresters Tower and New Beveridge House flats, and outside the Atkyns Road shops.

Over the past year, police and Oxford City Council have been clamping down on yobs who cause problems in Barton.

Sue Holden, of Barton Community Association, said: "The street wardens will provide a really good link between us and the police. They will be able to deal with the more 'ground level' problems that arise, allowing the police to carry on with higher profile work."

Sue Skeet, manager of the Co-op in Atkyns Road, Wood Farm, said: "I'm hoping they will do a good job and will work, but I don't know just how much enforcement power they have."

Street wardens are similar to Police Community Support Officers, (PCSOs) -- uniformed officers employed by the police, with limited enforcement powers.

Martin Elliott, Thames Valley Police Federation chairman, had previously criticised the PCSOs for being "policing on the cheap" claiming the force should be spending its money on more police officers.

He said: "I am all in favour of the new street wardens who are employed by the council.

"I think PCSOs should also be employed by the council."

Wardens have no enforcement powers, but Susan Brown, the council's executive member for crime and community safety, said: "Uniformed street wardens in our communities act as an important visible deterrent."