POLICE in Preston hope a new crime-busting initiative will save the city almost £1million.

The Preston Community Safety Partnership, run by the police, local council and county council, have launched the three-year strategy to target youth crime, drug abuse and racial harassment.

The aim is to cut vehicle crime by 7.9 per cent and burglary by 8.2 per cent in the first year.

Superintendent Russ Weaver, of Preston police, said: "Effective policing and targeted operations on drugs, street crime and theft have all helped in the fight against crime. This new strategy takes us to the next level.

We've got a big job but we're determined to cut crime."

The partnership gets everyone in the community involved in the fight, from the probation service and fire brigade, to the health service and local businesses.

Over the last few years the partnership has brought CCTV into the city and obtained three anti-social behaviour orders to ban trouble makers from parts of the city. The council say that burglary has been cut by 29 per cent and car crime has fallen by ten per cent as a result.

Now the new scheme will target seven new areas, youth issues, safety at home, vehicle crime, road safety, racial harassment, violent crime and substance misuse. Councillor Veronica Afrin, chairman of the partnership, said: "This new strategy aims to tackle key issues head-on to beat crime in Preston.

"We've listened to the local people and we're determined to drive down crime to make a safer Preston. Drugs, burglary and youth crime are the key issues facing us and we'll be working flat out to act on these.

"We've set some tough but realistic targets and now's the time to deliver, to build on our achievements and make a real difference on the ground."