CROOKS have raided the local office of MP Ivan Lewis twice in two days, a week after he launched a crack-down on crime.

And he fears that the incidents could be revenge attacks after he vowed that Prestwich would "get tough" on violent criminals targeting the town.

On Tuesday evening (June 6) attackers kicked-in doors and cut alarm cables at his Bury New Road office just after 10pm. Nothing was taken but it followed an unsuccessful raid the day before.

The second incident happened a week after the Bury South representative chaired a summit crime meeting following a wave of armed robberies and hand-bag snatches in Prestwich. An anti-crime strategy was launched. Mr Lewis said it was "too big a coincidence" that the raids and the meeting were not connected.

He said: "If these people are trying to intimidate me then it is a very cack-handed way of doing it. I will not be intimidated and this has only strengthened my resolve to tackle crime."

Having a staffed local office in Prestwich was a key promise made by Mr Lewis in his 1997 election campaign.

He said his first concern after the attack had been for his staff and the private material in his office about constituents.

"If this was a response to the anti-crime strategy then we will no be deflected from our task," he added.

"We cannot allow a small minority of thugs to terrorise the honest, hard-working people of Prestwich."

More than 70 traders packed into the Longfield Suite last week to challenge representatives from Bury Council, the police and Longfield Precinct owners Bourne End Ltd about crime.

They were told that Prestwich was to be given priority for spy cameras, and town hall bosses would be asked to submit a bid to secure a slice of the £153 million available for CCTV schemes from the Home Office.

A crime action plan was also drawn-up.