Monitoring crowds of young people congregating in Wallingford Market Place will be the first task of the town's newly set up Neighbourhood Action Group.

Police patrols will be increased at weekends to make sure there is no repetition of last Friday night's brawl which tied up 30 officers, dog handlers and the police helicopter.

It led to 18 youths being arrested, one charged with assault, a 39-year-old woman given a police caution for assault and 15 people being issued fixed penalty tickets for public order offences.

Sgt Fraser Weller said: "We will be putting on police patrols when youths gather in the area.

"We will be monitoring the size of the groups and their behaviour.

"The local Police Community Support Officers will also be on foot patrol and speaking to the youths.

"They have powers to confiscate alcohol from underage drinkers and will help gather evidence."

The behaviour of young people, especially underage drinking and bad language, in the Market Place was one of the top priorities highlighted when police held a public meeting in Wallingford to roll out the new neighbourhood policing scheme.

The new Neighbourhood Action Group has as its second and third priorities speeding in the Cholsey area and vandalism and criminal damage in the Benson and Berinsfield areas.

The group aims to find out the causes of the problems and how best to deal with them.

The priorities will be tackled one at a time.

Wallingford mayor, Nigel Moor, welcomed the police promise of more patrols in the evenings and weekends.

He said: "They did a very good job managing the riot in the Market Place, behaved very professionally and prevented what could have been an orgy of damage to people and property.

"We have pledged cooperation with the police and are very pleased that this whole thing has emanated from the Neighbourhood Action Group meeting where local people expressed their worries about underage drinking and rowdyism."

Deputy mayor Marcus Harris said: "We are arranging a meeting between publicans, off-licence managers and the police to work together with us to make sure events like this do not happen again. The extra police patrols are very welcome and the police presence should deter any more violence."