RESIDENTS of Whalley Old Road, Little Harwood, will get alley gates to combat anti-social behaviour later this year.

Occupants of numbers 350 to 360 petitioned Blackburn with Darwen Council for the pathway behind their homes to be fitted with lockable gates.

They were concerned about anti-social behaviour, crime, graffiti, fly-tipping, dog fouling and secondary fires.

Officers and local councillors consulted with police and decided that bad behaviour and petty crime rates justified fitting the gates to the alleyway and associated ginnels and giving residents and public services keys.

Thursday’s meeting of the council’s executive board is expected to approve the bid for alley gates to be installed in the coming financial year under the borough’s ‘Gate It’ scheme.