PEOPLE in Bacup, Stacksteads and Colne are to be linked to police through the latest high-tech town centre panic button scheme.

The "help points", which were first trialled in Rossendale 1995, are to be linked to the towns' CCTV systems and will allow people to connect direct to officers.

The system, which also operates in Blackburn, Burnley and Accrington, allows CCTV operators to film the person who has pushed for help while an officer is despatched.

Bacup already has one attached to the camera outside the Library in Market Street.

The £20,000 scheme in Rossendale has been funded by by an anonymous benefactor. It will launched at the end of March.

Colne's system of 12 help points, funded by the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund will go on line when the town's CCTV is officially launched in April.

Dave Sykes, Crime Prevention Officer, said: "Its a great system that can serve a wide variety of needs.

"If someone has been assaulted, a purse has been snatched or a child has been lost then the help point can put them in contact with help immediately. Anybody in trouble can go to the CCTV camera and press the button which is linked directly to the police control room.

"If the person thinks they are in danger the control room can make sure the camera is monitoring the person until help arrives, which is another good tool in the fight against crime.

"It's not a case of Big Brothers watching you anymore it's Big Brother is watching over you like an guardian angel."

Trish Ellins, Community Safety Partnership Coordinator, said: "This is a project that we know works well so we very exited by the fact that we are to benefit from the system."

Bacup's Inspector Dave Shepherd said the help points will help reassure the public and help deter criminal activity from the town.

He added: "It's something that the people of the town want to help make them feel more secure when out and about.

"And the help points will also hopefully go towards helping us reduce the amount of crime in the area which is already declining."