SUMMER holiday police patrols will crack down on children starting hay fires around Oxford’s Barton estate.

A string of minor fires in the fields at the back of Underhill Circus have been reported to the neighbourhood police team in recent weeks.

Sgt Jim Holmes said: “None of the hay bales were set on fire, but kids have pulled some of the hay off and set fire to that. It is an annual thing, but this year our links with the youths are better than they were.”

He said despite the latest incidents, police visits to schools in Barton with plays and workshops had helped to reduce antisocial behaviour in the area, The Barton Neighbourhood police team has also started to run football games during the school holidays as a way of tackling anti-social behaviour.

Officers teamed up with Bayards Hill Primary School, which has opened its playing fields.

PCSO Nigel Pearce and Pc Chloe Sutton, who are running the project, said they are now on first name terms with many of the children attending.

Latest crime statistics showed that 112 less crimes were reported on the estate this year.

Melanie Jewell, who runs a four-week summer holiday youth club through the summer holidays, said up to 50 children and teenagers have been taking part.

She said: “We try to get them involved in as many projects as possible.

“We’re planning a session on fire safety and the dangers and implications that fire causes, but we wanted to do that anyway – it’s not really a response to these reports.”