Eighteen volunteers have been given a crash course in justice delivery, after responding to an appeal by Police and Crime Commissioner Angus Macpherson.

The group has been trained to sit on Neighbourhood Justice Panels, which work with local police and the council to resolve anti-social behaviour and neighbourhood disputes, and sees criminals come face-to-face with their victims.

Helen Curtis, landlady of the Jolly Huntsman Hotel in Kington St Michael, was among the volunteers recruited for the new panels.

She said: “I wanted to put something back into the community.

“I believe that we have a responsibility to tackle our own problems and hold those who cause problems to account and that victims have the right, if they wish, to confront those who have offended against them.”

Their training included role-playing and looking at why people chose to offend, with the successful volunteers receiving certificates at Corsham Fire Station.