A HOME Office chief saw how Burnley was tackling anti-social behaviour during a fact-finding visit to the town.

Louise Casey, director of the government's Anti-Social Behaviour Unit, paid a flying visit to the town yesterday to see schemes including Operation Red Card -- the recent blitz on litter and grime -- and pub watch scheme Burnley Against Night-time Disorder (BAND).

After a meeting with various parties connected with initiatives in the town hall, she visited Burnley Wood to see what improvements funding from Elevate, part of the Government's housing renewal initiative, will bring to the area.

She said she was impressed with the way organisations were joining forces to make Burnley a cleaner and safer place.

She said: "What has impressed me is it's just not the local authority, it's the police, the community wardens and the fire service all coming together and asking what can we do to make Burnley a better place.

"There are lots of regeneration projects happening and, over time, they will make a difference. My job is to look at places like Burnley and look at what we can do now.

"It is a good town and has plenty of good things going for it.

"Burnley Wood is a rundown area and it is good it is part of the housing renewal initiative. I do feel sorry for the people having to live in boarded-up streets. It is difficult to bring children up in areas like that.

"But we need to make sure we have a zero tolerance approach. Neighbours from hell chucking rubbish in back yards need to be stopped, and that needs to be done now, not in a few years' time.

"We all have to behave the same. If we start behaving anti-socially, we can't expect others to behave differently."