The council is hoping to increase the number of Neighbourhood Watch schemes in the city by 25 per cent from the current 150, and will be raising their profile in Neighbourhood Watch week, which runs from18 - 26 June.

“Neighbourhood Watch schemes are no longer about old ladies and twitching curtains, but are about residents coming together to help each other in the way they find suitable for their community – and thereby reducing crime,” explained Cllr Royston Smith, Leader of Southampton City Council, who said the council is “stripping out bureaucracy” to make it easier to get involved.

“Reality is, it is not a police or council initiative – it is yours, and we’ll support you throughout in the best way we can to help you reduce crime and anti-social behaviour in your street,” he said.

There’s more info about how to get involved on the council’s site.

You can find out whether a Neighbourhood Watch scheme already operates in your area by, simply:

• Going to the council’s website
• Keying in your postcode in the box top right
• Confirming your address
• Scrolling down - and under the sub-heading “Community Safety” it should indicate whether there’s a scheme running in your street.