Purposefully striding the under the mighty boughs of Holland Park, Inspector Mike Rumble has his eyes peeled for trouble.

"You're always looking sideways," said the new police inspector, who has been in charge of Royal Borough open spaces since the beginning of the year.

For nature lovers, the leafy avenues of North Kensington's Kensington Memorial Park, Little Wormwood Scrubs and Chelsea's St Luke's Gardens are peaceful spots where nature's glory can be enjoyed amongst the urban jungle of concrete tower blocks and grinding traffic.

But for the parks' dedicated police force, the greenery can mask a world of trouble. Last year saw 30 arrests - mainly for possession, minor thefts and antisocial behaviour - on borough grounds.

"One million people visit our parks every year," said Insp Rumble. "My priority is to make that trip pleasant and safe for them."

Whilst the vast majority of visitors experience no trouble during their visits, as the parks are generally very safe, the 14-strong police force  - based in the stable yard at Holland Park - is braced to tackle incidents such as lost children and, occasionally, more serious problems.

In June, Year 11 children from two local schools clashed in Holland Park - causing chaos in the adventure playground and a church's charity sale. Parks police and the Kensington force were called to the scene to calm the teens.

Constable Nicholas Henry said: "It was a big task to keep them at a distance."

There are also issues unique to parks, such as pit bulls being trained for dog fighting in the Scrubs.

Recently, officers found a homeless man was living in a bivouac in Holland Park.

This gave Insp Rumble the chance to put in place his new plan, to tackle the roots of issues to prevent them reoccurring.

"When we have a problem with young people or drunks, rather than shove them off we'll work with the borough's homelessness team or youth offending team," he said.

The inspector, who had more than 30 years of experience in Brighton, also intends to shake things up by revisiting bizarre by-laws - which ban organised dances and exercise in Holland Park - and making the public more aware of the force with high visibility community patrols.

But despite his hard work on the park beat, during which £80 penalties can be dished out for dog owners ignoring their pets' mess, Insp Rumble has time to enjoy the outdoors.

During a chat on the beat, he pointed out the mass of frogs spawn hidden in a shady patch of a Holland Park pond, before warning that the park's peacocks have a certain fascination for black cars.

He added that he keeps a copy of children's book Percy the Park Keeper in his office to inspire him, before adding: "I'm not going to base my policing on it though."

* If you have an ongoing problem call the team on 020 7938 8190.