Police are working with young people to drive out anti-social behaviour in former crime hotspots

Police action to combat anti-social behaviour in Blackpool’s inner areas has led to a drop in offending partly thanks to closer links with youth groups.

Operation Centurion has been running since summer 2023 in response to concerns about yobbish behaviour disrupting communities.

In 2022 a Blackpool Council meeting heard some elderly people living in Brunswick and Talbot wards were scared to leave their homes due to unruly children, with one offender said to be just 11 years old.

The police had been forced to use dispersal orders to control behaviour.

But since the launch of Operation Centurion, police say there has been a 42 per cent reduction in recorded incidents with 29 arrests.

Among the initiatives has been for officers to engage with young people at an earlier age, including by joining sessions at the Blackpool Boys and Girls Club in Brunswick.

Members of the neighbourhood policing team recently visited the club, based at the Talbot and Brunswick Youth Club and Sports Barn on Victory Road, to talk about the dangers of anti-social behaviour – and for an impromptu game of football.

Sergeant Sean Dixon said: “Seeing officers engage with young people in such a positive manner helps build trust between the communities and police. I hope that by building that relationship at a young age, it will discourage anti-social behaviour and help spread awareness of the dangers of it.”

Jed Sullivan, youth worker at Blackpool Boys and Girls Club, said Operation Centurion had not only reduced anti-social behaviour but also led to “a plethora of unforeseen positive outcomes. ”

He said: “This success is largely thanks to the strong partnership forged between Lancashire Constabulary and the Blackpool Boys and Girls Club.

“The collaboration has fostered a remarkable improvement in relations between young people and police officers. Gone are the days of apprehension and mistrust.

“Instead, we’ve witnessed increased confidence and a strengthened sense of trust within local communities. Police officers have even been seen actively participating in the club’s programmes and activities, building bridges and forging genuine connections with the youth.

“This dynamic shift goes beyond mere statistics. It speaks to the power of community engagement and proactive collaboration. By working together, the constabulary and the club have created a safer and more supportive environment for the young people of Brunswick Ward, empowering them to reach their full potential. ”

In May 2022, then Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab visited the Blackpool Boys and Girls Club in Brunswick to help launch Turnaround, a national £300m initiative to tackle youth offending, including £60m for schemes to help stop youngsters falling into crime.

The sports barn is now being redeveloped after a joint bid by Blackpool Council and Blackpool Boys and Girls Club secured a £1.7m grant from the government’s Youth Investment Fund.