Greater Manchester Police given over £2 million to tackle 'anti-social behaviour hotspots'

Greater Manchester Police have been given over £2 million to tackle 'anti-social behaviour hotspots' in the region. Every police force in England and Wales is being handed a share of £66 million to ramp up patrols in areas plagued by violence and disorder.

The Government funding is expected to allow each of the 43 forces to launch uniformed patrols for up to an estimated 20,000 hours a year in 'hotspot' areas.

Every force will receive at least £1 million, with the Metropolitan Police being given more than £8 million, West Midlands receiving at least £3 million while Greater Manchester Police, Merseyside and West Yorkshire will all get more than £2 million each, the Home Office said.

Try MEN Premium now for FREE... just click here to give it a go

The department said the cash will help “drive down crime and boost public confidence” as it announced the move on Thursday (February 15). The nationwide rollout of the plan comes after successful trials in counties including Essex and Lancashire.

There were more than 80,000 hours of patrols over six months in the 10 force areas which carried out a pilot of the scheme, leading to hundreds of arrests and cutting levels of anti-social behaviour, according to officials. A target to shut down a further 1,000 county lines drug networks by August has also been set.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said anti-social behaviour “destroys communities and takes away the public’s right to feel safe in the place they call home”.

He added: “We will not stop until every person, no matter where they live, can feel safe and proud of their community. That is why we are investing in every police force in England and Wales so they can tackle violence and disorder head on.”

Home Secretary James