AN initiative to reduce violent disorder and criminal damage in Burnley is to receive a prestigious national award.

The Burnley Against Night-Time Disorder (BAND) scheme beat off competition from more than 70 other schemes from police forces across the country.

The initiative has been named "Best Project" in the Home Office priority area of violence at this year's Tilley Awards.

The Tilley Awards were set up in 1999 to encourage good practice within police forces in the UK.

BAND was launched in November 2000 with the power to ban anyone inside or outside licensed premises involved in a serious assault, violence, drug supply or use, from the town centre for a year.

This has since been extended to cover incidents in taxis. A drugs amnesty box scheme has also been introduced in local night spots.

The police say 56 people are now banned from the town's clubs and pubs as a result of the initiative.

BAND was nominated for the award because violent incidents in the centre have fallen as a result.

Andy Moore is a town centre sergeant who has enforced and developed the scheme.

He said: "A lot of hard work has gone into making BAND the success story it is today. That includes work from former town centre sergeant Jon Bullas; our dedicated town centre officers PCs Keith Hargreaves, Shaun Juriansz, Dave Wiggan and Tracey Edmondson; as well as the town centre management and Burnley's pubs, clubs and taxis.

"We are all delighted with the success of the scheme to date. Violence in and around the town centre has reduced significantly since its launch.

"To win a Home Office award on top of all that is the icing on the cake."

Carole Willis, head of the Home Office Policing and Crime Reduction Unit said: "We received 71 entries and the shortlist was very good so Burnley Police have done particularly well in the face of stiff competition." The award will be presented at the UK Problem Oriented Policing (POP) conference in Hinckley on September 5.

A representative will also pick up a cheque which will help to fund a fact finding mission to San Diego in November for the International POP conference.