Street wardens operate in Swindon, Bristol and Gloucestershire

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott is to spend �19m to continue paying for warden projects in the UK - including 11 in the West which employs more than 80 wardens.

The most prominent are in Swindon and Bristol.

In the Wiltshire town, adult wardens on the Parks and Walcot estate were joined last year by junior wardens.

Children as young as 10 signed up in return for rewards - free football tickets, for example - from local businesses and sponsorship partners.

We have already seen the kind of impact that these schemes can have - from cutting crime and anti-social behaviour to improving the physical environment John Prescott Deputy Prime Minister

In Bristol, the Knowle West Street Wardens Scheme is active in tackling vehicle crime in particular.

While in Gloucestershire, Lynx Community Wardens encourage young people to talk about their concerns.

The extra funding means 662 street wardens are secure in the whole of the UK until the end of the 2004/05 financial year, and 380 street crime wardens until the end of 2005/06.

'Practical solution'

Announcing the additional cash, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott said: "Making neighbourhoods clean and safe benefits everybody.

"Already, we can see the impact that wardens and neighbourhood management have in helping residents to revitalise their neighbourhoods and reclaim their streets.

"Both wardens and neighbourhood managers deliver change on the ground, taking people's concerns and helping them to come up with a practical solution.

"We have already seen the kind of impact that these schemes can have - from cutting crime and anti-social behaviour to improving the physical environment," he added.