LANCASHIRE Women's Centres have been awarded £158,000 to tackle people committing crimes and bringing down reoffending rates.

They will use the cash boost from the Ministry of Justice to increase the support to female offenders across the county, both in prison and in the community.

The project will work with up to 700 women a year when they are being dealt with by the criminal justice system.

The new funding comes after figures released by Lancashire Police show that 2,857 women were arrested in 2015/16 and almost half of women released from prison reoffend within a year.

Many suffer from a range of complex issues including substance misuse, mental health problems and domestic violence, which require specialist support and intervention to improve lives and end the scourge of reoffending which costs the taxpayer £15billion a year nationally.

Lancashire Women’s Centres, which have offices in Blackburn, Burnley and Accrington, say they will use the funding to provide a more tailored approach to support women to turn their backs on crime for good.

Chief executive Sarah Swindley said: “We know there are gaps in service provision relating to both need and geography and we will aim to address this.

“We will develop capacity to divert women away from crime at the earliest opportunity by addressing the multiple vulnerabilities that can lead to offending behaviour.

“It is testament to the work undertaken and the local commitment of a range of stakeholders that we have been given this opportunity.

“It is key we now work together to ensure it is successful and a sustainable, whole system approach is a legacy we can all be proud of."