BURNLEY Council is to appoint a "fast-track" officer to lead the fight against vandals, wreckers and louts.

Council policy chiefs are also calling for more police on the streets to stamp out crime - even if it means putting up council taxes to do so.

There was criticism of both the council and the police as members of the policy committee agreed to the appointment on a three-month pilot basis of a special officer to spearhead action against anti-social behaviour. His job will be to improve co-ordinated action against offenders and hit them with new anti-social behaviour orders which carry stiff penalties.

Former council leader Kath Reade said the authority had been too slow in acting on anti-social behaviour orders.

"The people of the town are crying out for something to be done with these new teeth we are supposed to have."

She said the Crime and Disorder Act placed a duty on councils to work in partnership with police to stamp out crime.

The move comes as communities in many areas of Burnley have called for action against louts.

Two weeks ago residents in Padiham held two major public meetings and a march through town to demand a greater police presence in the wake of a wave of assaults and vandalism.

Coun Stephen Large said the council needed the tools in its hands before it could tell people it was able to tackle the problem.

Coun Tony Harrison, however, said it it had been clearly shown that extra police manpower alone did not work - the council had to stand alongside the police and other agencies to address the problem.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.