LANCASHIRE Constabulary is targeting street crime by fast-tracking drug users who are persistent offenders as part of their Safer Streets in Lancashire initiative already under way and set to continue for the next year.

It comes as a police report reveals two thirds of offences committed in Lancashire are linked to drugs misuse.

Officers believe Preston's drug markets are situated in the heart of the city's robbery hot-spots.

Now Lancashire Constabulary is adopting a multi-agency approach, working with drug action teams to target repeat offenders and tackle the problem.

Conrad Eydmann, Lancashire Drug Action Team development manager, said: "Drug users with no criminal record will be treated in the usual way through community drug groups. At present the waiting list is six weeks, which we are working to reduce with a target of four weeks by the end of this financial year."

A special drugs squad has also been set up to deal with the link between street crime and drugs. The group will be working with housing agencies to evict convicted drug traffickers of class A drugs out of their homes.

Over the coming weeks the group will be running 'drug busts' -- seizing drugs and arresting high profile drug suppliers as part of a national campaign unveiled on May 9 by Health Minister Hazel Blears.

Mr Eydmann added: "Fast-tracking offenders when they are released from remand and at their most vulnerable is an effective time to work with them."

Lancashire was one of the ten forces selected in February this year for the Government's street crime programme to tackle robbery, car-jacking, snatch theft and Class A drug trafficking offences, with a view to stamping out this sort of crime before September this year.

Detective Superintendent Jones of Preston CID, involved in the initiative, said: "Robbery is not a huge problem it accounts for around one per cent of all crime in Lancashire. We ran a drugs reassure programme last year and we are constantly trying to cut down street crime."