AN anti-drugs hotline in East Lancashire is to receive more than £47,000 from a new Home Office fund built up from assets seized from criminals.

The cash will go to the Lancashire Constabulary to set up a free, confidential drugs line in Burnley. It will mean that people can contact the police with information on street-level dealers.

The helpline will be available in several different languages.

A Home office spokesman said the money came from the Recovered Assets Fund, which was set up in October 2001

It enables assets seized from criminals to be channelled into initiatives focusing on law enforcement, crime reduction -- including anti-drugs strategies -- and community regeneration programmes.

Lancashire Constabulary's Pennine Division submitted a bid in response to the Independent Task Force Report submitted by Lord Clarke after last summer's riots in Burnley.

A key element of the report called for the police to initiate a free-phone drugs line, which people in Burnley could call, in confidence, to provide information on street-level crack cocaine and heroin dealers.

Detective Inspector Simon Leach, who is leading on the initiative for the division, said: "This is fantastic news for Burnley and sends out the right message to drug dealers.

"This will enable many people in the community to speak confidentially about drug dealing with the knowledge that the police will respond quickly. "

He added: "Operation Monaco in the region recently resulted in the arrest of more then 30 suspected street-level crack cocaine and heroin dealers and was part of the forces Safer Streets in Lancashire initiative."

Chief Superintendent John Knowles, who heads Pennine Division and was a key member of the Burnley Task Force, said: "There is a considerable amount of effort in Burnley to fight drugs. Many other agencies such as education, health, the Probation Service and the local council are working closely together with the Drugs Action Teams.

"This is not just a police issue, and partnership working is vital if we are to succeed in our efforts to tackle the problem drugs on our streets."

The drugs line will be staffed 24 hours a day with a dedicated free-phone number for people to call.

In cases where drug users want to pass on information and at the same time ask for help, staff on the drugs line will provide contact numbers,