BLACKBURN MP and Home Secretary Jack Straw today declared war on crooks and revealed how his experiences in East Lancashire had helped the Government draw up national battle plans.

Mr Straw spoke exclusively to the Lancashire Evening Telegraph as the Government unveiled its plans to tackle crime in the Queen's Speech to Parliament.

The proposals include putting more bobbies on the beat, cracking down on cowboy wheelclampers and security firms, giving police powers to issue fixed penalties for disorder offences, and targeting the profits of crime.

But Blackburn nightclub owner Margo Grimshaw hit back at the Government's crime-fighting plans and invited Mr Straw to come and spend a weekend on the door of one of her clubs to see how her staff deal with problems "at the coalface".

Mr Straw said that although last month's British Crime Survey showed a 10 per cent fall in crime across England and Wales since March 1997, and crime in Lancashire is down by more than 11 per cent, crime is still too high.

He said: "The Government has also made a major commitment to policing. Funds have been set aside to ensure that forces recruit up to 9,000 officers over and above the number they had previously planned to recruit.

"But crime is still far too high. So five new laws to fight it are at the heart of today's Queen's Speech to Parliament."

The Criminal Justice and Police Bill will include powers for police to issue fixed penalty notices for a range of offences such as threatening or insulting behaviour, and powers to immediately close licensed premises where disorder is taking place. But Margo Grimshaw, who owns several Blackburn clubs, said these plans were all very good in theory, but implementing them was another matter.

She said: "All these kinds of ideas are magic to say, but dealing with them is another matter. Young people who are disruptive yobs, aren't interested in what the police think or what grown-ups think, they are only interested in what their friends think.

"Until we implement punishments that make young people look foolish in front of their friends, nothing will change."

Chief Inspector Andy Pratt, of Blackburn police, welcomed the proposals.

He said: "The police would welcome any extra help in terms of tackling criminal activity and anti-social behaviour."

The Private Security Bill will for the first time regulate the private security industry.

Mr Straw said: "Its aim is to drive out the crooks - the drug-dealing bouncers and cowboy wheelclampers - about whom I've had complaints in the past in my Blackburn constituency.

"Meanwhile the Vehicle (Crime) Bill will help us build in our successes in reducing vehicle crime."

The government also plans to extend the modernisation of the criminal justice system.

Mr Straw said: "This will remove the ability of those accused of various petty crimes to elect Crown Court Trial, the Bill will make justice faster and fairer to victims of crime, and help stop persistent criminals playing the system."