POLICE patrols will be stepped up around Southampton University following a spate of late-night vandalism.

The pledge was made at an urgent meeting called by Highfield Residents Association, when people came face-to-face with police and chiefs from the nearby university, in an attempt to discover if students are responsible.

Residents told how the vandalism started in the last academic term and seemed to coincide with late-night events on the university campus.

Association chairman Peter Knight urged residents to keep a log of incidents like broken car wing mirrors and smashed fences, which have so far centred around Church Lane. He said: "It's difficult for the police to get a picture of what's happening unless people provide specific dates and times, so we have issued a log to everybody in Church Lane and they can return it to our secretary if they have got two or three entries. We are going to review everything in March at our AGM and see whether it's worth making it a wider scheme for the whole of Highfield. If there's damage to personal property, people should call 999."

Pc Steve Mullins, Southampton's new higher education liaison officer, said residents can expect to see some police patrols in the area in a month's time. He added: "We will endeavour to put some patrols up there on Friday and Saturday nights to see if we can knock this on the head."

Peter Reader, the university's head of external relations, said: "While we will continue to cajole and advise students to behave in a proper manner, the legal position is that they are adults and they should be subject to the law just like anyone else."