A PIONEERING Blackburn crime-busting programme is one of the inspirations for Prime Minister Tony Blair's plan to target crime "hotspots," Home Secretary Jack Straw has revealed.

The town's MP told the Evening Telegraph that a crackdown on the Roman Road estate and Fishmoor Drive area was such a success that it had been used as one of the models for the new programme announced at the Labour Conference in Blackpool.

On Tuesday Mr Blair revealed that he was asking Mr Straw to identify 20 high crime areas that would benefit from a zero tolerance approach to tackling minor crime and young thugs early and to use a problem solving method of trying to identify crime, trends and suspects early rather than merely trying to catch up with them later.

Mr Straw said: "What was done on the Roman Road estate and Fishmoor Drive area is a good example of what we're trying to achieve.

"The problem solving approach in conjunction with the police and Youth Works resulted in a big cut in crime."

Mr Straw said he was sure other parts of Blackburn and East Lancashire could benefit from the "hotspot" initiative.

But he said that it would be up to police and the local authorities to submit candidates to the Home Office for the final short-list.

Already Rossendale and Darwen MP Janet Anderson, Minister for Film, Tourism and Broadcasting, has called for local police chiefs, local authorities and MPs to work together to identify areas of East Lancashire that could benefit from the new initiative.

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