ADVER, APRIL 29: A GOVERNMENT minister has praised the Adver for its backing of Swindon's crime hotline.

Hazel Blears, minister for crime reduction, visited the town yesterday to back Anne Snelgrove, Labour candidate for South Swindon.

And she was impressed to hear about the support the Adver had given to the It's Your Call anti-social behaviour hotline, which was launched in Swindon earlier this year.

"My congratulations to you for running that kind of campaign," she said.

"That is exactly what we need because we want local people to have the confidence to report people and the police and council to use the powers we have put on the statute book to tackle the problems."

She went on to outline Labour's plans to increase community policing as she met community support officers in Parks.

"I wanted to come and see how the police and community support officers were working together to tackle the problems in the community," she said.

Ms Blears visited the advice point, community shop and opportunity shop in Parks, as well as going to the Women's Refuge, talking to parents outside Oaktree Primary School and going on a walkabout in the town centre.