A CRACK squad to tackle yobbish behaviour in Burnley is to be formed following a new report.

A working group at Burnley Council, formed to examine the progress in the fight against anti-social behaviour, has recommended the introduction of a dedicated team to deal with the problem.

Their proposals will be discussed at a meeting of the council's executive committee on Thursday. The council already has one anti-social behaviour officer but the report suggests creating a "core team" of three people, backed by a seconded police officer, to root out bad behaviour through enforcement, education and prevention.

The team would carry out enforcement work and deal with residents face-to-face as well as providing telephone advice and co-ordinating existing partnerships.

Funding of £35,000 is already available through the Home Office Building Safer Communities Fund and the council is hoping more money will come from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund.

The report suggests the core team could be ready to go into action in October this year provided funding is agreed.

A draft anti-social behaviour strategy attached to the report quotes figures from a Burnley Citizen Panel survey last summer in which 83 per cent of respondents were dissatisfied with the way vandalism, graffiti and youth nuisance were dealt with.

Council community safety manager Linda Burton said: "The vision is for an anti-social behaviour core team of three officers and a seconded police officer working within the community safety team in the council's new Streetscene unit.

"The team will carry out enforcement work in private sector housing and liaise closely with housing providers, deal with low-level anti-social behaviour issues through face-to-face work with residents and work with other agencies involved in enforcement, support and prevention work."