YOBS who terrorise neighbourhoods in Hyndburn with their loutish behaviour could find themselves targeted by a new 'pest control' officer.

The council has decided to appoint an anti-social behaviour officer, a post funded for 12 months with £20,000 Home Office money given to the Community Safety Partnership.

The officer will be responsible for drawing together agencies in an anti-social behaviour strategy to tackle issues like youth nuisance, graffiti, arson, harassment, nuisance neighbours and drug dealing.

The move comes as the government announced £80 on the spot fines for offenders as young as 16 for anti-social behaviour.

Nigel Rix, chief executive of Hyndburn First, said taking a multi-agency approach was vital to combat the problem. "This post-holder will be trying to draw together a strategic approach to anti-social behaviour, and drawing together the different agencies."

Coun Tony Dobson said residents may prefer to see the money spent on an extra police officer. "If you speak to people in Wood Nook they would say whatever this is costing, they would much prefer it to be pooled to have a dedicated police officer working from 10pm to 5am with his own mobile phone so residents that suffer from anti-social behaviour can get hold of someone who can solve their problems there and then."

Council chief executive Mike Chambers said: "I can see people would like to see something happening in their streets. What we have done with limited resources over the past couple of years is introduce a range of measures."

Citing the Crystal Clear campaign, which banned glasses and bottles from Accrington town centre, he said: "It needed to be done with the co-operation of licensees, police and various other agencies. I see this person doing more of the kind of work that makes these things happen.

"Taking on someone like this gives us a better prospect of pulling in resources."

Coun Dobson said: "My constituents are getting to the point where they want someone to come round at two or three in the morning when they are having the problems, not someone to come the next day and say we have got a strategy for it."

A report to Hyndburn Council cabinet said anti-social behaviour was identified as one of the biggest concerns by residents. The council has issued eight anti-social behaviour orders, and two interim ASBOs, which were introduced in December.

Inspector Phil Cottam, Accrington's police commander, said: "We are extremely keen to do anything we can to assist with working in partnership with other people to bring this together. It's quite a big issue and one that affects the whole of the borough and we would like to think this would be a major step forward in identifying areas where there is a major problem."