TWENTY years and one month ago last Friday, David Compton made the journey from his West Meon cottage to Old Winchester Hill.

It was to become a black day for criminals across the south.

“In 1995 Tony Waters, the crime prevention officer in Fareham, got in touch with me,” said the 75-year-old.

“He said ‘for 24 years we’ve been trying to get the crime down at Old Winchester Hill’ and asked me I could give them a hand. I was happy to.

“I told him I’d get it down to ten crimes in five years. After five it was near enough down to one and it’s been nil all the way down the Meon Valley ever since.”

Mr Compton is the living proof that prevention is better than treatment. He spends around 45 hours a week patrolling and walking around the hill, acting as a very visible deterrent to car criminals.

His crime-fighting ways began in 1992 when the former Southern Electric worker suffered a heart attack. He started walking around the hill on a daily basis to aid his recuperation but quickly became aware of its dark side.

For all its beauty, Old Winchester Hill was a place people didn’t linger at in the early 1990s, with it being a notorious hotspot for vehicle crime with up to 300 incidents a year.

After recovering 40 stolen handbags on the hill during a two-year period, the police realised what an asset Mr Compton could be and they got together to start a poster campaign.

“For the first two years all I did was put up signs but all of a sudden crime stopped,” said Mr Compton, who has received numerous police and community awards for his tireless work.

“Now I do West Meon railway station, Beacon Hill and The Grinch in Exton every day as the criminals have a circuit. I’ve learned that if I’m just hanging around they get a bit nervous.

“One of them was up here on Sunday but gave his game away. I’ve learned their tricks. They come from as far as Oxford, you know.”

Mr Compton has been verbally abused and his car was once vandalised by frustrated criminals but that didn’t put him off, as he was back the next day enjoying his daily routine.

“They thought I would be off but I was here doing exactly the same as I’ve always done,” said the pensioner, made a voluntary warden in recognition of his services.

“I come up here every morning at 9.30am and it still gives me a buzz to do something for nothing.”