A recently-selected Labour candidate has called for action to crackdown on anti-social behaviour across East Lancashire.

Burnley's Oliver Ryan is alarmed at new statistics which show a 41 per cent cut to neighbourhood policing numbers across the North-West.

More than 14million people nationwide last year had their lives blighted by graffiti, drug dealing, and noisy neighbours.

Meanwhile the total number of neighbourhood police across the North-West has fallen by over 2,347 over recent years, from 5,659 in 2015 to 3,312 in 2022.

Mr Ryan said: “Antisocial behaviour blights people’s lives and police out on the beat and visible in local neighbourhoods are vital for stopping crime and keeping our communities safe.

"Under the Tories, neighbourhood policing in Burnley and across the region has been decimated - with fewer neighbourhood officers stretched to cover more and more people.

"Burnley deserves better. The last Labour Government brought in neighbourhood policing.

"We will restore it, starting with community police hubs and local prevention teams to tackle crime at its source.”