The officers will be appointed to prevent violence, drug use and attacks on teachers and one school in each of the county's five districts will get their own officer.

They are expected to be in place by early May but the schools to be included in the plan have yet to be chosen.

North Leamington School headteacher David Hazeldine said: "I fully support the idea. I don't see it as a way of dealing with misbehaviour or 'policing' in schools, but as a totally positive way of socialising our young people into greater understanding of the responsibilities of living and working in a community.

"We long ago established close liaison with the local police officers in order to assist with difficult issues such as outside intruders onto the school site, and I know that if we asked them to help us with an internal difficulty they would do so immediately."

Warwick School headteacher Edward Halse said: ""I am sure that schools that have such problems would welcome all the support and help they can get from the police, but I am also sure that all schools do their utmost to ensure that none of those problems occur.

"Fortunately we have none of those problems here - good behaviour is very important to us.

"For many years we have had a marshall to make sure that the pupils are wearing the correct uniform and behaving as they should in school.

"This school is one in which the pupils grow to respect the rules and regulations, and the staff and parents pull together to ensure high standards of conduct."

Police community support officers (PCSOs) are uniformed members of the public who work with the police.

They have powers to seize alcohol from people under 18 and tobacco from people under 16, seize and retain drugs or weapons, and can arrest and detain people for up to 30 minutes while waiting for a police officer to arrive.