SOMERSET County Council is considering to withdraw funding for ten PCSOs across the county.

Avon and Somerset Police are yet to confirm how that will affect Sedgemoor, but John Stow, director of the Somerset Rural Youth Project, based in Edington, said the cuts could have a big impact on young people in the region.

He said: “To see PCSOs in your town in uniform gives the police a face for a lot of people. They have great skills working with young people.

“It's sad that young people are deemed as the cause of anti-social behaviour but they are usually the victims of it.

“Young people like PCSOs around as a visible sense of security. If they are reduced, young people would be affected.”

A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said the constabulary was awaiting details of a police grant settlement with the Government before commenting on how it would be affected by the council cutbacks, or the Government's decision to cut the police budget by 4% a year.

Chief constable Colin Port said: “A great deal of planning has been undertaken in the last five months to review a number of options that would help us meet different levels of cuts in our budget.

“Inevitably there will be some changes but until we have more detail I will not speculate.”

These proposals will be discussed at a Somerset County Council cabinet meeting.

If agreed, the plans will need final approval from the full council meeting on November 10.