A parish council has responded to proposed cuts to the community warden scheme in Kent - by hiring its own.

In a move thought to be first of its kind in the county, Stuart Ellesmere took over his new role on March 4 in Headcorn.

The rapidly expanding village, which has had problems with social deprivation and crime in recent years, was worried it would lose its street level presence as the warden service faces a 40% reduction.

So the parish decided to hire the Kent County Council (KCC) warden, Mr Ellesmere, into the newly-created position of Community Liaison Officer (CLO).

KCC has proposed a major shake-up of the Kent Community Warden Scheme in order to save money in the face of squeezed government funding and soaring costs.

As the village has grown in size, so have problems with crime, antisocial behaviour and problems associated with a small number of people from nearby traveller camps and the settled community.

But Mr Ellesmere will also have to contend with problems such as social isolation, mental health worries, drug and alcohol abuse as well as food and fuel poverty which often lie just under the surface.

He said: "People look at Headcorn and all they see is an affluent place but it has its issues and that's what the CLO is here for."

The village, now regarded by many as a small town, has a significant number of people who have moved into social housing from other parts of the borough.

Married father of two Mr Ellesmere, 48, added: "This brings its own issues. People, younger ones, move from a town to a place like Headcorn where there is nothing to do and that's when the problems start."

He aims to have a collaborative approach with police, the borough council, social workers and housing officials.

By being close to issues on the ground he is able to report them to the relevant authorities and initiate action.

"People don't always report what is happening officially, maybe because they don't think anything will get done, but I can."

Headcorn Parish Council clerk Stefan Christodoulou said: "Stuart will be the visible presence in the village, seeing what is going on. He can link back to the community protection team and the police. The more we can report to police, the more action will be taken which we desperately need.

"We were worried with the changes to the community warden scheme that we would lose those boots on the ground."

This was compounded by the loss of the village's PCSO presence in a recent Kent Police re-organisation but two shared officers were recently assigned to Headcorn.

He said the assignment has resulted in a more regular police presence in the village and Mr Christodoulou says the Kent Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott has indicated more resources will be available as new recruits come in.

He added: "Reporting crime is important. If you don't see the police you don't report crimes but if you don't report crimes, then you won't see the police.

"This is where the parish council and Stuart come in - we can take issues straight to the police."

The parish council is also considering having a network of CCTV cameras in the village which can be monitored from the office when problems arise.

The changes to the warden service designed to save KCC £1m - would see the number of managers and uniformed officers shrink from 70 in total to 38 although the aim is to retain a presence in all 12 districts.

But dedicated wardens for individual communities would be phased out and expected to cover more than one patch.

In the new model, there will be six teams, each operating across two districts each with a team leader and three wardens. A further 14 will be allocated to district where there is higher need.

The warden service has proved popular across the county, where areas can have a uniformed presence keeping an eye on residents and deterring crime.

KCC acknowledged alternative funding for the service has been considered in past years but found to be difficult to secure.

Council papers said: "This has included Kent Police, and though the Police and Crime Commissioner at that time appreciated the role of KCWS, they did not have available funding."

KCC says the new model is designed to be scaled up should resources become available.

Chief Inspector Mark McLellan said: ‘Over the past year, there has been an increased focus on tackling crime and antisocial behaviour in Headcorn and our use of dedicated beat officers is helping us to respond to concerns and issues raised by both residents and businesses.

"It is vitally important we understand what matters most to people in their communities and these high visibility patrols play an important part in engaging with shopkeepers and monitoring known anti-social behaviour hotspots.

"Our PCSOs and officers also receive extensive feedback from attending parish council meetings and surgeries, and by working closely with the likes of the Headcorn warden and Maidstone Borough Council Community Protection Team.

"This week, engagement with partners and local residents has helped us initiate specific days of action to reduce crime and reassure those who work, live and pass through Headcorn.

"We also continue to urge residents to report all crime and incidents of antisocial behaviour. This is so important as it helps us build an accurate picture of where there may be persistent problems and means we can respond more robustly."