POLICE community support officers will soon play a bigger role than ever in policing the streets of York and North Yorkshire.

Force chiefs were preparing to hand them extra powers, including limited powers of arrest, the ability to use reasonable force and a swathe of opportunities to hand out penalty notices.

Administrative staff were preparing for a sharp increase in the number of fixed penalty notices that will be issued to residents.

Community support officers will be able to issue tickets for antisocial problems, including disorder, drink-related incidents and firework offences for the first time. They will also be better able to deal with street corner youths with new powers to disperse groups, punish under-age drinkers and return under-16s to their homes.

The new powers were expected to "go live" across the county next month after officers have been given one week of extra training each.

The force has 75 police community support officers (PCSOs) - 36 women and 39 men - in position at an annual cost of about £2 million, part of which is paid for by the Home Office.

In mid-May there were 23 in York, eight in Selby and Tadcaster, five in both Hambleton and Ryedale, and nine in Scarborough.

Senior police officers are keen to develop the role of PCSOs and have set up a focus group to ensure they are being used appropriately and that their role continues to develop.

When PCSOs were first introduced detractors such as the Police Federation dubbed them the "plastic police" and accused Government leaders of trying to police communities "on the cheap".

They have since become a common sight in many neighbourhoods and have been involved in numerous police operations.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman denied that the new powers would result in a "windfall" of extra penalty tickets being issued.

He said: "Their fundamental role will remain that of reassurance policing. They are there to be seen, to help people and get back information to the full-time regular officers.

"But now they have got the powers too, if they come across something that needs dealing with there and then. The main thing is to be seen helping the people of York and North Yorkshire.

"There are not going to be out en masse looking for people breaching fireworks curfews, but if they come across something they will be able to deal with it."

Updated: 10:46 Wednesday, June 15, 2005