RISING late night disorder in Evesham has prompted the police to bring in reinforcements in a high visibility campaign to crackdown on drunken louts.

Inspector Steve Brooker told town councillors on Monday that disorder was reducing all over the southern division except for Evesham.

Insp Brooker, the geographic commander for Wychavon, said: "The cases of disorder are actually going down but Evesham is an exception. We have now set in motion an extensive plan, starting next week, to make personal visits to the licensees with some high profile visible policing.

We also plan to call on officers from Worcester and Droitwich to help deal with people committing antisocial behaviour." He said the peak times for punch-ups were on Friday and Saturday nights from about 11pm to 2.30am.

The inspector added: "I haven't got a down on licensees but the people we have to deal with have clearly been sold too much alcohol."

He said many of the revellers wander in the middle of the main roads drunk, and become aggressive when approached but some are more violent. Recently a policewoman was injured while attempting an arrest.

Inspector Brooker's sergeant, Paul Crumpton, who was also at the town council meeting announced an increase in police for Evesham, and a new police van containing a CCTV camera.

Sergeant Crumpton said: "The good thing about the van is that we can take CCTV anywhere we like.

"We are also expecting three more staff, and for the first time in years we are going to have probationers in Evesham which will also help us police the patch."

A spokesman for Evesham's nightclub Innuendo, said: "We will be giving the police our full support. We get the blame for anyone walking around the streets at night drunk, but our security staff won't let them in."

Mayor of Evesham Pat Clifford said: "I welcome any improvement to safety on our streets.

"We have complaints, especially from the elderly, about rowdy behaviour."