POLICE are to tour a borough with a mobile station in a bid to tackle crime and improve community relations.

The move comes after a special unit set up in Accrington centre to help cut back on the seasonal rise in pick-pocketing and theft proved to be a great success.

Police bosses are to expand the idea to visit communities such as Baxenden, Oswaldtwistle, Church and Huncoat in order to cut down on problems such as juvenile nuisance and help to build relations with local people.

It is hoped that this increased presence by the police, along with the regular police station on Manchester Road, will put off criminals and help reassure local people.

Inspector Phil Cottam said: "At Christmas when we put the mobile unit in the town we received a warm welcome from everyone and we want to look at something similar over the summer.

"We are looking at setting up in the town centre again for a period during the summer but the main priority is to have a higher presence in the areas that are a bit further away from the main police station in Accrington and we are looking to begin this in Oswaldtwistle.

"Officers will work out of the mobile police station and hopefully this will reassure people that we are trying to increase the profile of police in all areas not just in Accrington town centre.

"Residents will be able to call into the unit and have face to face contact with police to discuss any problems in their area in private circumstances, which is also reassuring for local people who may feel uncomfortable going to the main station.

"And because the unit will opened in the evenings it will tie in with and hopefully help to alleviate juvenile nuisance problems."

Police surgeries are also planned for the summer, either in the unit or in appropriate community centres as part of the strive to increase high visibility policing.

The unit, a 30-foot-long trailer used as a mobile incident unit and communications room during big investigations, will be manned by officers who normally work in each particular area plus additional officers.

But because the unit is a resource used by the whole county and could be needed for major incidents the dates have not yet been finalised.