Street wardens are helping to kick antisocial behaviour off an Oxford estate - by setting up a football loan scheme.

Wardens covering the Wood Farm area came up with the idea after noticing a rise in yobbish behaviour when the estate's CCTV camera was out of order.

They said young people were still hanging around the shops in Atkyns Road, despite a new multi-use games area just around the corner.

And after chatting to the young people, the street wardens realised many could not use the games area - because they didn't have footballs.

To help them out, they launched a scheme to lend balls to the young players - enabling them to have a kickabout.

For a £2.50 deposit, young people on the estate can borrow a football from the street wardens for as long as they want.

Senior street warden, Teresa Slatford, said: "The kids were coming up to us, saying they wanted to use it, but not all of them had a football. Some had come to visit friends.

"The wardens brought a couple of footballs in to see how it worked.

"They don't have to return the balls straight away, because there is not always someone in the office.

"This encourages the kids to go to the caged area and use it.

"They love it. They are really positive about it - they even ask us to go and play football with them.

"We are trying to arrange a suitable time so we can all take part."

Fellow street warden Louis Arundell-Walker said: "They do respect us for laying out the scheme and trusting them with the ball. It's working really well. It gets them off the streets."

The new multi-use games area, funded using part of a £106,000 National Lottery grant, was opened by Oxford Lord Mayor, John Tanner, in September.

Wood Farm Community Association treasurer, Ray Clare, 61, of Nuffield Road, welcomed the scheme.

He said: "I think it's a brilliant idea. I do know the scheme has been used very well.

"It's a very simple thing, but very positive."