EXTRA police have been drafted into Wyre Forest's riverside towns to cope with rowdy tourists during the summer months.

Three additional officers have been put on duty in Bewdley, while two more have been added in Stourport after the seasonal disorder issue was raised during a public meeting between townspeople and police.

The reinforcements represent a 50 per cent increase on the normal numbers covering the towns during the summer until October.

North Worcestershire police's uniformed support group is also being sent to Bewdley and Stourport over the weekends to deal with any trouble on the streets. It is made up of eight officers who are deployed across the division to deal with specific problems.

Chief Insp Jim Baker, based at Kidderminster, said the nuisance caused by youths at Riverside, Stourport on Friday and Saturday nights had been identified as a priority issue during a Partners and Communities Together (PACT) meeting there.

That had prompted the decision to increase the number of police on duty.

He added: "Stourport and Bewdley experience a significant influx of tourists and visitors over the summer and that is very important to the economy of Wyre Forest.

"The summer months are also, historically, the busiest in terms of disorder there and by increasing our police presence in response to that, we aim to reassure the local community and tourists that we are doing everything in our power to prevent any future problems, while having the capacity to deal with any incidents that do occur quickly and effectively."