LANCASTER police will not turn a blind eye to cannabis use, despite the national debate over the drug.

The area's top police officer, Ch Supt Stuart Kirby, says that first time offenders can continue to expect at least a caution if they are found with the drug.

Ch Supt Kirby was speaking at the launch of the Lancaster District Community Safety Partnership Strategy on Monday.

The strategy sets out a series of targets for members of the partnership, including both city and county councils, as well as the police, to work towards.

It includes a pledge to increase by 30 per cent the number of offenders charges, reported or cautioned for supplying class A drugs, which no longer includes cannabis.

Ch Supt Kirby said: "We do caution people for possession of cannabis, depending on the amount and if it is a first offence.

"We will wait and watch the initiative in London.

"The Home Secretary has raised the cannabis debate but in terms of enforcement what I don't like to tell officers to do is to turn a blind eye to anything.

"The kind of offences that can come from class A drugs include violence from people trying to take control of an area and issues from people wanting money to purchase drugs."

A specialist drugs support team has been set up to help tackle drugs issues and the partnership is also aiming to sent more offenders to drug intervention and support schemes.

The strategy is the result of a consultation exercise, with more than 1,600 questionnaires returned by members of the public, as well as an audit of crime levels for the past three years.

Ch Supt Kirby said that drugs and drug dealing had been identified as a major priority by many of the respondents, especially young people.

Priorities for the partnership include a further clamp down on violent crime in Lancaster and Morecambe centres.

Ch Supt Kirby said he believed levels of violence have now levelled off after a 72 per cent increase during the past three years.

The community safety partnership has been involved in a series of initiatives to cut down on violence, including the Pubwatch scheme, which is to be extended to Morecambe, and the installation of extra CCTV cameras.

Det Ch Supt Kirby said: "What we do in a partnership like this is scour the country looking at ideas that work, taking good practice that works elsewhere.

"We did predict increasing violence in this area and it has levelled off, which we see as an achievement."

Partnership chairman, Coun Cllr Ruth Henig, said: "The overall message is that Lancaster and district really is a safe place to live.

The vast majority of this district, in terms of crime figures, is below county council averages.

"Certainly for older people the level of fear of crime is significantly higher than the level of crime itself.

"Those who are actually most at risk of crime are young people.

Young people need to be more wary and alert.

Major issues identified by young respondents, said Coun Cllr Henig, include racism and homophobia.