POLICE officers could be based in new super-schools in a bid to cut crime and keep youngsters on the straight and narrow.

Education bosses discussing the Building Schools for the Future bid for Blackburn with Darwen have brought police officers on board to put security first.

The borough's outline bid for £2billion to build nine new secondary schools could be approved as earlier as October in the second funding wave. That would pave the way for the schools to be re-built as soon as 2006.

Burnley and Pendle's bid for £150million was approved in the first funding wave.

Blackburn with Darwen Council's overview and scrutiny committee said beat officers could be based in schools to act as the "ultimate deterrent."

Special annexe or cabins would be incorporated to accommodate the officers in a permanent base. It is also hoped that the new schools will be used more in the evenings by the community and "pedestrian traffic" will act as a deterrent to vandals or thieves.

Police have attended 130 incidents of damage on Blackburn with Darwen schools since the beginning of the year.

Mark Pettitt, Lancashire police architectural liaison officer, said: "We have already piloted the idea of having on-site officers at Blackburn Royal Infirmary and it acts as the ultimate deterrent when the public know the police are regularly coming and going. It's all about putting security first."

The school-based officers would also expand on the work of the borough's youth involvement officers.

A county council spokesperson said: "We would need to discuss with Lancashire Constabulary to see if they wanted to be part of this and consult with head teachers."

Burnley borough councillor and Ivy Bank High School governor Frank Cant said the decision should rest with individual headteachers.