SPECIALLY-TRAINED police are being drafted in to patrol a troubled Blackburn street.

Johnson Street is set to become the first in East Lancashire to benefit from a new hardline Government tactic to target yobs.

Extra officers, normally operating as armed response teams, and dog teams will patrol the community and stamp out the anti-social behaviour that has made plagued the area.

Vandalism and juvenile nuisance will be targeted, but a particular problem in the area has been car crime.

Community beat manager PC Paul Meades has been gathering information on the area, and working with the local community to decide the areas to be targeted.

He said: "This area of town is my responsibility and it has experienced a recent increase in some types of crime, in particular vehicle crime.

"Every day I speak with law-abiding members of the community who are fed up with a minority of people ruining their neighbourhood, whether that is through anti-social behaviour or through committing more serious crime.

"I am pleased to say that we have listened to these concerns and are now taking very serious action to sort it out. People living in the Johnson Street area will see a radical step-change in policing over the next month."

The scheme is part of the Home Office's Building Safer Communities Together initiative, which uses new powers under anti-social behaviour legislation to take a tough line against the yobs and redirect resources to tackle problems.

The police will be targeting known offenders who live in the area, and also people they think are travelling to Johnson Street to commit crimes.

Police figures for January 1 to February 29 show that crimes in the Johnson Street area, including burglary and car crime, have risen.

In total, 65 crimes were reported, including nine burglaries, 21 incidents of auto crime and 11 of violent crime.

In the previous two months, from November 1 to December 31, only 53 crimes were reported. This figure included three burglaries, 10 incidents of auto crime and 11 of violent crime. Juvenile nuisance has actually dropped recently.

Councillor Kate Hollern, Wensley Fold representative, said: "I fully welcome more support and the activity of the police. I really think it is a good opportunity for local residents to influence the police activity in their area.

"I think the best change we are going to see is the involvement of the community. The police presence will make a difference, but the best thing is the community involvement."

Questionnaires have also been distributed around the Johnson Street area to canvas local opinion on behalf of the Home Office.