COUNCIL bosses hope to expand a primary school anti-drugs initiative.

After the early success of the project, which started in Darwen primary schools this year, the town council is seeking investment from more schools in the town to increase the number of pupils reached.

The council’s stance on drugs came under scrutiny after the discovery in August of a £1million cannabis farm in a former mill in Wood Street, Darwen, which was described as ‘one of the most sophisticated set-ups in the UK’.

Officers discovered 20 hidden rooms that had been converted for production of cannabis.

Darwen Mayor Roy Davies said of the anti-drugs move: “I think it’s one of the best things we have done as far as Darwen Town Council is concerned.

“This is what the precept is for, after all.”

Last month Darwen Town Council teamed up with Coram Life Education, a provider of health, wellbeing and drugs education across the UK, to educate children on the dangers of drugs.

The initiative will involve educators delivering memorable life skills in a mobile classroom to pupils from reception to year six.

The programme has been backed by Blackburn with Darwen Council and is available to children in primary schools within the Darwen boundary.

Cllr Davies said: “It looks like Blackburn Council are taking notice of what we have been doing, which to me is good news.

“If we can get more funding we can expand it to more schools and maybe include high schools if there’s a need for it.”

He added: “I’d love to see it in every school in the borough, not just Darwen schools.”

The training involves younger children learning about the importance of hygiene and older pupils learning about the risks of substance abuse.

Darwen town councillor Kevin Connor, who is also a borough councillor, said: “This is a good scheme and it has whole council support.

“It’s graded to years as a child gets older but it’s all to do with health as well.”

Cllr Connor said the initiative represented good value and would be worth the expense even if only one child was spared heartache in later life.

He added: “I’d like to see the borough council do it.”