PERSISTENT offenders in Bury are being targeted under a new project to curb their criminal activities.

The objective is to reduce by 15 per cent the number of offences committed by people identified as targeted offenders.

Those who commit four offences within a year will be eligible to be referred to the Targeted Offenders Project (TOP), a joint scheme between Bury Police and Probation Service under Bury District's Community Safety Partnership.

TOP is adopting a multi-agency approach and those referred to the programme can be fast-tracked to receive drug or alcohol treatment and also receive assistance with accommodation, advice about education and training, and opportunities for constructive leisure activities.

Greater Manchester Police Assistant Chief Constable Rob Taylor, speaking at the TOP launch in Bury on Friday, said: "This initiative, to target individual offenders who commit a disproportionate number of offences, is a most valuable tool in the armoury to fight crime. And we want public confidence to rise.

"This is all about partnership and one where agencies have committed themselves to a defined piece of work."

Offenders on the programme will require to maintain four contacts a week with the Probation Service or an agency, including a home visit, and their criminal behaviour will be challenged using individual group and/or work interventions. They will also be subject to intensive police surveillance during their term with TOP, which could last a maximum of six months.

The prime aim is to significantly reduce the level of crimes committed by these persistent offenders. It is hoped this will be achieved by changing their attitude and behaviour by instilling the fear of being caught.

Those who are eligible for the project, which became fully operational in Bury in September, will be aged 18 and over and either be on licence from prison or on a community sentence.

At the launch, TOP manager and senior probation officer Mr Preston Hulse disclosed there were 173 core persistent offenders in Bury. Those targeted will include those who have committed a range of offences including burglaries, car crime, woundings and drug dealing.

Mr Hulse added: "If we stop the offending, that will help the public. A lot of crimes are driven by drugs. Most offenders we have on our list, we know already. They regularly come to the attention of everybody."

Two are currently taking part in TOP and another five are soon to join the project.

With the number of offenders to be referred to the programme likely to increase in the future, Mr Hulse went on: "We are trying to work with them to get them motivated to join the project."

PC Dave Smith, a project worker, stressed: "This is an enforcement-led programme. As far as persistent offenders are concerned, this is a tougher regime, it's not a soft option. But support is there if they need it and comply with it."