The Advertiser & Review's chief reporter Kerry Hathway spent an afternoon with PCSOs Steve Staley and Denise Grayburn on the beat around the town, and talked to them about what it was like to help police the streets of Buckingham. Click on Play to watch the video.

The teams, which consist of one sergeant, five PCs and six PCSOs, are dedicated to specific communities. They work closely with county, district and parish councils, fire services and residents' groups to tackle different issues, including anti-social behaviour, litter and grafitti.

Each police force in the UK was required by the Home Office to have dedicated neighbourhood policing teams in place by April 1 and Buckingham now has a full team.

This week, the team received early praise from town councillors. At a council meeting on Monday (13/04), members referred to the team's efforts and said it should be congratulated on its hard work.

The PCSOs are often the public's first point of contact with the police, and enjoy a good rapport with local people, including teenagers. They have a range of duties, which include deterring anti-social behaviour and passing on information to police officers when necessary.

PCSO Grayburn said: "We get on well with most of the community, including young people, and we are out there supporting the general public of the town.

"People are now aware of us and the neighbourhood policing team is working well within the Buckingham area."

She also gave examples of specific projects underway. "We have obtained a grant to have some artwork painted on the skate ramp with the involvement of local artists and young people in the town."

The team has been issued with mountain bikes which will be used to patrol the town and which enable the PCSOs to get around Buckingham more quickly.

The team also has links with the town's Neighbourhood Action Group, which is a volunteer working group made up of members of the public that determines a list of priorities and objectives for each community.