PENDLE has been chosen to pilot a national scheme that aims to reduce burglaries in crime hotspots while encouraging offenders to work for the community.

The Home Office will provide £128,000 to fund the 'alley gates' scheme which involves installing gates at both ends of the back streets of terraced properties.

Around 25 streets across the borough are likely to be involved in the scheme, initially selected on the basis of crime statistics followed by a consultation with residents.

Keith Lister, co-ordinator of the Pendle Community Safety Partnership has secured the funding.

He said: "This is a proven method for reducing crime -- alley gates have already been used successfully in other parts of the country. However, this scheme will for the first time involve prisoners.

"Offenders in prisons in the North West are to make the gates. Pendle Borough Council's highways, engineering and design section are to install the gateposts and then offenders on community service orders will install and paint the gates.

"Those in prison working on the gates can obtain a NVQ from their participation. Offenders on community service orders are linked in with educational and training opportunities and a qualification at Nelson & Colne College."

Nelson's new police inspector Paul Robinson, a former crime prevention officer, has added his support to the scheme but warned residents not to be too complacent if their streets are targeted. He said: "It used to be a common feature in Victorian houses to have ginnels and back streets gated off to prevent problems from people down the back streets.

"In the area I am policing there are large areas of terraced houses and many houses in many parts of the town are susceptible to break-ins predominantly from the rear of the house.

"This type of work has been undertaken in many areas across the country and to the best of my knowledge and research it has been proven to significantly reduce criminal activity. But it doesn't reduce the responsibility of householders to have security in mind and to make sure that their back door and ground floor windows are locked."

A public consultation exercise will be carried out over the coming weeks in to which streets should take part in the scheme.

Councillor Azhar Ali said: "This is a tremendous coup to be able to pilot this national scheme and is a result of the hard work of Pendle Community Safety Partnership. The scheme has great value in that it ties in the reduction of crime with the rehabilitation of offenders both in prison and those ordered to undertake community service."