HOME Office funding is being pumped into drugs services in a bid to give more effective help to offenders.

Extra cash is being targeted at Community Healthcare Bolton NHS Trust Substance Misuse Service which has joined forces with the Health Authority, and Greater Manchester Police to extend on-the-spot screening and assessment for anyone arrested and held at Wigan and Bolton central police stations.

Both towns have one worker each but the new cash boost means the size of the service will double with two workers covering each borough.

In addition, the partner agencies involved in the scheme are advertising for 16 workers to cover the whole Greater Manchester region, and the full scheme will be launched next month.

Gary Oulds, manager of the Wigan and Bolton service, said: "Statistics suggest 25 per cent of peole arrested are drug users. If we can get involved with these people at an earlier stage then we believe our treatment programmes will prove to be more effective."

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