DRUG dealers could soon be funding their own demise under a new police scheme.

Cash recovered from convicted pushers is to pay for initiatives aimed at tackling the problems they cause in Lancashire.

Police officers across the county are to be asked for their ideas of how to beat the drug culture - and money will go to the most innovative and creative ideas for stamping out dealers.

The idea comes from the Lancashire Partnership Against Crime (LANPAC), which has just received a £25,000 cheque from the county constabulary to set the ball rolling.

Pictured above is Lancashire's drug champion Det Sup't Bob Helm presenting the cheque to Tom Croft, chairman of LANPAC.

Det Sup't Helm says: "This is all about taking money off drug dealers and using it where it matters. This is payback time.

"People have told us that they do not want drug dealers living or functioning where they live and work. Drugs criminality impacts heavily upon the lives of people in our cities, towns and villages and this scheme comes as part of our continued fight against drugs criminality across the county.

"We already have a number of initiatives in place to tackle open drugs markets and our Operation Nimrod continues to close street level drug markets while the drug interventions programme works with those who create the demand for drugs."

Anybody who has any information about drug dealing in their area is asked to contact police on 0845-125-3545 or use the anonymous Crimestop-pers number 0800 -555111.