A crackdown on anti-social behaviour in and around Dover town centre has led to nearly 90 arrests since last November, say police.

The aim is to make the town as crime-free as it can be by the summer, when tourism is expected to rise and children will be off school.

Ch Insp Steve Barlow, who took over as head of Dover police last May, said it was clear that something had to be done about those causing a nuisance in the town.

He said: “It was brought to my attention by a number of people. It has gone superbly well so far.”

There are eight police community support officers who patrol the town centre and have the authority to move people out of the dispersal areas throughout the town centre if they are becoming a problem.

A campaign is also in place with the district council to stop the sale of high-strength alcohol to those who abuse it.

Ch Insp Barlow said this has had a “very positive impact” on the town. He added: “By the summer Dover town centre will be a more pleasant place to be than it was last summer.”

The progress is constantly recorded so that a comparison can be made between this summer and last.

Despite the fact that arrests are being made and that the clampdown on anti-social behaviour is in force, Ch Insp Barlow noted that the same offenders can continue to cause problems.

He said: “All we can do is enforce the law. We cannot stop someone from being a drug addict, we have to look to others to help. The people are still going to be somewhere, there is always going to be a degree of some misplacement.”

Sgt Karl Lidgley, who has been with the police force for 22 years, said: “We have low crime rates in comparison to other districts.”

“If it stays as it is we can only get better. We can only get more effective than we are.”