BBC News Online's Jonathan Morris meets Plymouth's first community safety wardens.

It is 1400 BST, the start of the shift for Louise Martin and David Little whose beat is the Barne Barton estate.

Since May, they have been mediating in disputes and getting action on a variety of community problems, from graffiti to noisy neighbours.

David Little and Louise Martin: Aiming to make streets safer

There has already been a 20% drop in calls from residents to the police about anti-social behaviour.

Community wardens have been introduced around the country to act as the eyes and ears of their community.

They do not have specific powers - other than the power of persuasion.

But their aim is to reduce the fear of crime in their beat area.

As they walk around the Barne Barton estate in St Budeaux, the pair greet everyone with a "hello" and all the responses are with a smile.

Ms Martin said: "People have been very welcoming on the whole.

"They realise we are not the police and we are not going to arrest anyone and hopefully we can help them."

Ms Martin, 35, a mother of three, is a former special constable with qualifications in counselling and child protection.

They realise we are not the police and we are not going to arrest anyone and hopefully we can help them Louise Martin

And she relishes her new role which combines her skills.

They pass a couple of schoolgirls walking down the street and Ms Martin stops to talk to them.

"Why are you out of school?"

"Exams," they reply. "The teachers let us out early."

"Early enough to do your shopping," says Ms Martin eyeing their department store plastic carrier bags.

Truanting is one of the problems that the pair monitor.

Taunted by boys

On the appropriately named Savage Street, a line of about 12 garages are burned out and vandalised.

According to former Royal Navy officer Mr Little, 40, no-one wants to claim responsibility for the garages, which offer local youngsters a meeting point.

David Little is trying to trace the owner of vandalised garages

The Barne Barton estate consists of about 1,800 houses, many of them ex-Navy and now run by a variety of housing organisations, so finding out who owns what takes time.

However, he says the city council is now investigating and an enforcement notice should be handed to the owners soon.

A couple of boys pass by and Ms Martin speaks to one of them.

"Where are you going?"

"To smoke some dope," replies one, taunting the wardens.

Off they go to the garages and Ms Martin turns away.

Although they have been trained in law and have the theoretical power of arrest, they intend never to use it.

Their equipment consists of bright yellow vests, first-aid kit, plastic gloves for emergency poop-scooping, mobile phone and, if a situation turns nasty, a police radio.

Ran a warship

"Our strength lies in being a mediating force and if we were to arrest people, that would destroy people's confidence in us," said Mr Little.

Anyway, he admits that his bright yellow jacket probably gives enough advance warning to wrong-doers of the warden's whereabouts.

The pair aim to set up a drop-in service

His skills in the Navy involved tracking Russian submarines around the Atlantic, so how does that equate with the war on graffiti in St Budeaux?

"Counselling training is all part of being a divisional chief petty officer," he said.

"I also had to run a warship."

Running a tight ship is what he aims to do now and give the citizens of St Budeaux more confidence to go out at night.

The wardens were introduced after a survey by The Tamar Development Trust found that 75% of people in the area wanted them.

It costs about �75,000 a year, with money coming from the government via Plymouth City Council's Single Regeneration Budget.

'Splendid idea'

The wardens have an office and manager based at the Trust's headquarters in St Budeaux and they aim to start a drop-in centre for residents later this year.

And locals we spoke to, including 65-year-old Flo Sinclair, were supportive.

Ms Sinclair, who lives in Savage Road, said: "It's a splendid idea.

"Every couple of weeks I am calling the police or the fire brigade because of these garages.

"Hopefully, they can act as a bridge for people to get things done."