Lancashire Police is to get an extra £1.7 million to patrol anti-social behaviour hotspots after a successful trial in the county has led to the project being rolled out nationwide.

The Government is handing out £66 million to police forces to tackle anti-social behaviour, which plagues some communities with violence and disorder, and Lancashire is getting £1,713,512 of it.

This comes off the back of Operation Centurion, a trial run in Lancashire to crack down on anti-social behaviour hotspots across the county. A similar trial was also nine other areas.

More than 14,000 additional policing hours were delivered through the operation with more than 140 arrests made.

Lancashire's Police and Crime Commissioner Andrew Snowden said it has had a "monumental impact" on tackling anti-social behaviour and the "results speak for themselves".

The Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans also praised the impact of the trial, meaning residents saw more bobbies on the beat and yobs were targeted.

The new Government funding announced today is expected to allow each of the 43 forces in England and Wales to launch uniformed patrols for up to an estimated 20,000 hours a year in so-called “hotspot” areas, where there are high levels of violence and disorder.

Every force will receive at least £1 million, with the Home Office saying the cash will help “drive down crime and boost public confidence” as it announced the move on Thursday.

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 said: “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 Cleverly said getting more officers out on the streets was “vital for public confidence”.

He said: “Our plan will put more officers on patrol in local communities up and down the country, to help ensure that people are not only safe, but that they feel safe, in their neighbourhoods.”

Deputy Chief Constable Andy Prophet, who leads the National Police Chiefs’ Council work on anti-social behaviour, said: “Residents often tell us they want to see more uniformed officers out in their local area.

"This additional funding will not only help forces to enhance their current activity, but it will enable them to target their resources to hotspot areas, where criminal activity is most concentrated and areas most at risk of harm.”

Steve Turner, who leads the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners’ work on local policing, added: “The anti-social behaviour hotspot pilots have demonstrated what can be achieved by concentrating efforts on problem areas and following a zero-tolerance approach to drug taking, loitering and fly-tipping.

“Police and crime commissioners know from their engagement with communities how the public want the tackling of anti-social behaviour to be prioritised.”

London's Metropolitan Police is the biggest recipient in the cash handout, getting £8.1 million while West Midlands Police is receiving £3.7m, and Greater Manchester Police will benefit from £2.9m.