A WOMAN who won an MBE for trying to unite Northern Ireland's divided communities has taken to the streets of Blackburn - and set about resolving neighbourhood disputes.

Tanya Gallagher, 34, is one of five neighbourhood co-ordinators brought in by Blackburn with Darwen Council to act as the new faces of the authority, helping people resolve problems.

And resolving problems is something Tanya is quite good at, having spent 12 years trying to get communities in Northern Ireland to work together.

She worked in Derry for an organisation which tried to promote harmony in a town which had been divided by religion, politics and paramilitary groups for decades.

Tanya said: "They might sound like worlds apart, and in many ways they are, but the job in many ways is still the same. It's about taking the policy of decision-makers and implementing it locally and trying to help people. That's what I enjoy doing.

"In Northern Ireland, it was about overcoming years and years of division between the various communities and showing that if we work together things can get better.

"I was trying to show that despite what went on at the higher level in politics, at micro level, in the community, things could improve.

"There was a lot of mistrust built up over years and it was a case of overcoming that.

"Breaks in the so-called ceasefires didn't help, but I think things are getting better.

"I decided I wanted to move away to England and this job seemed perfect. Here, it is about helping people get things improved."

Initial examples of success including bringing police and council workers together to tackle juvenile nuisance, neighbourhood disputes and untidy areas of land.

Coun Mohammed Khan, executive member for housing and neighbourhoods, said: "Neighbourhood co-ordinators will work with councillors, community groups and businesses to help establish what are the most important issues for individual neighbourhoods.

"People are often confused about who to contact when they have a problem. This will help tackle that and make sure that we provide the services that people want in their community."