A MAJOR drive to combat the misery created by unruly youths has been launched in the borough.

A large number of police are being used to patrol residential areas plagued by teenagers causing annoyance.

Tactics that have already worked in the Woodhill area of Bury, one of the worst-affected areas, will be used across the borough.

Leading the operation is Inspector Steve Clark, who will co-ordinate the use of township officers, police dog handlers, mounted police and special constables during the crackdown.

He said: "At Woodhill, we put in place a series of patrols to look for problems before people telephoned us.

"There has been a significant improvement to the situation at Woodhill and, as I have promised the residents there, those patrols will be continuing."

Bury police will be targeting the areas which, according to the reports which are received from the public, are the worst hit.

Insp Clark said: "We are reliant on the information that members of the public continue to give us to be able to identify the areas with the most problems."