In March this year, police launched a crackdown on out- of-control youths in Long Buckby in a bid to tackle anti-social behaviour, after a significant increase in the number of incidents taking place.

The month-long special operation was deemed a success with 150 youths targeted, searches carried out, alcohol seized, an arrest made, a formal warning handed out and a fixed penalty notice issued.

Weeks later, more than 100 villagers who filled Long Buckby Community Centre at the end of last month for the annual parish meeting, were told the problem had not gone away.

Pc Lyndon Harris, from the Daventry Rural Safer Community Team, said: “It became obvious that Long Buckby was experiencing a lot of problems, particularly crime and antisocial behaviour.

“The biggest problem is, especially with criminal damage, it’s petty and not serious, but that can get people’s backs up.

“We think it [the operation] was a success. We saw a huge reduction in crime and anti-social behaviour.

“However since we stopped the operation, we have started to see an increase in criminal damage and antisocial behaviour.

“We are looking at what we can do to tackle that again. Often just the presence can be enough to resolve that problem.”

Fed-up residents told of windscreen wipers being pulled off, tyres slashed and cars damaged, while others requested CCTV in the village.

Pc Harris said CCTV is ‘too expensive’ to put in villages, while Steve Osborne, chairman of Long Buckby Parish Council, said it doesn’t come under its remit.

However, he did say that better street lighting in the village could be looked into.

Pc Harris also reported Long Buckby’s crime figures for the last year, which included five dwelling burglaries, 33 other burglaries, 18 thefts from motor vehicles, seven thefts of vehicles, two vehicle interferances, 36 incidents of damage to vehicles and 37 other criminal damages.

He said: “I think there has been an increase in crime in the last 12 months.

“There is quite obviously a problem in the village with criminal damage. That stands out above everything else.”

Pc Harris said that the safer community team would be setting up a community forum, in which members of the public would be able to attend regular meetings to let police, and other partner agencies, know about any problems they may be experiencing.