New wardens working alongside police to help tackle crime on the Grahame Park estate in Colindale are expected to be in place early next year.

The uniformed wardens will work in pairs, seven days a week between 3pm and 11pm, aiming to deter anti-social behaviour and criminal damage on the estate. Barnet Council is expected to start recruiting for the four posts in Feburary, with a view to launching the scheme in April.

The council's cabinet member for envrionment, Councillor Allan Turner, said: "Like neighbourhood managers, wardens will be liaising with the local police officers on the beat. However, they are not a substitute for the police. Rather, they will provide an extra uniformed physical presence to help deter crime and the fear of crime in the Grahame Park estate."

Superintendent Mark Gore, deputy Barnet borough police commander, backed the inititiative: "We fully support the Neighbourhood Warden scheme, which will complement our resources on the Grahame Park estate. I am confident they will offer additional support to the local community and we are working closely with the local authority on this project."