A £90,000 scheme to banish crime and anti-social behaviour from Burnley's backstreets has been given the green light.

Burnley magistrates have granted the first seven orders to close off alleyways behind more than 30 streets to the public.

Alley gates have now been ordered for streets including Lever Street, Accrington Road, Elmwood Street, Cog Lane and Coal Clough Lane.

Residents from across the town asked to sign up to the scheme to install gates in backstreets plagued by burglaries, arson attacks and fly-tipping.

Trinity is one of the areas to benefit from the scheme and ward councillor, Tony Lambert, said he was delighted the first seven had been approved. "I am over the moon this scheme has at last got off the ground and the residents are chuffed to bits," he said.

"The scheme on Athol Street South already in place has made a massive difference to the people living there.

"I was down there today and the back street is clean, there is no rubbish and the number of burglaries has also gone down - it has been a wonderful success.

Burnley Community Safety Partnership is behind the project and has secured funding from sources including Elevate and the Home Office Communities Against Drugs Fund.

Lancashire County Council had to apply for court orders for some of the back streets to be block because they were public highways.

Two further hearings are to be held in March and April to apply for orders on the remaining 27 streets in the scheme.

Anne Mullin, community safety development officer for Burnley Council, said: "We are now hoping the others will be granted by the court in March and April.

"We knew the positive benefits alley gating could have on communities because of studies done on schemes in Liverpool where burglaries have been reduced by around 45 per cent, not only in the gated area but also within 1km of it."

"The schemes proved to be successful in reducing nuisances such as dog fouling and fly-tipping."