GANGS of drunken youths who have been terrorising parks in parts of Burnley and surrounding streets are facing a crackdown by police.

Officers covering the Ightenhill and Gannow areas of the town have been granted a dispersal order, which will begin this Friday, banning groups of two or more from congregating.

The order runs for three months and applies to people aged under 16 who gather after 9pm in public places.

Police have taken the action following longstanding trouble with intimidating gangs of young people, especially those who gather in picturesque Ightenhill Park.

Earlier this month officers descended on a gathering of around 120 and seized 83 cans of lager, 11 litres of vodka, 26 litres of cider and two litres of wine.

And the next weekend police recovered 18 litres of cider, a bottle of vodka, 32 cans of lager and four cans of cider, as well as finding large groups of youths throwing fireworks at each other.

Two youths were issued with fixed penalty notice fines as a result of the disturbances.

Pc David Ward, the community beat manager, said: "The area the order covers is Ightenhill and sections of Gannow - specifically it is the local parks and surrounding streets where we have had the problems.

"We've come across groups of around 120 youths and having spoken with a number of them we know they are travelling in from surrounding areas such as Accrington and Cliviger, as well as most of Burnley."

Police have vowed to reinforce the aims of the order by visiting local schools to warn against the commission of anti-social behaviour, and work with park rangers and youth workers to make the area safer.