POLICE will link with town hall chiefs to clear louts and drug dealers from council estates in Burnley.

Both sides are ready to sign a shared-information pact declaring war on trouble-makers who cause misery to neighbours.

Details of relevant criminal convictions will be supplied to council bosses enabling them to quickly evict people guilty of serious anti-social behaviour from council homes.

Information on bad tenants, who have court convictions related to their home or neighbourhood, will be used to give them the boot for being in breach of new, stricter tenancy agreements.

The plan also aims to take the heat off neighbours, too frightened to give evidence against disruptive tenants for fear of reprisals.

The scheme profile, which is expected to get full backing from members of Burnley's housing committee on Wednesday, says co-ordination with police means evictions or injunctions against offenders could be secured without having to rely on witness statements from other residents. The plan has been adapted from a model already used with success in both Manchester and Coventry.

A report to councillors says in both cities immediate benefits were felt by the community which were both real and long-lasting.

If the Burnley plan receives the go-ahead it will receive a high-profile launch, aimed at deterring possible offenders and showing the council means business in its drive to clean up problem hit estates.

The report to councillors states: "The initiative will target tenants who have caused damage and misery to communities by their distressing and criminal behaviour.

"By evicting such tenants the police gain the opportunity of destabilising any criminal organisation and removing their operational base and will serve to rebuild the reputation of the police and the council with the majority of individuals who may have felt isolated and unprotected from a small number of anti-social perpetrators in the past."

The report goes on: "Rebuilding faith in the police, the council and the community is a worthwhile objective."

The report adds: "Any information received on a serious conviction for, say, drug dealing connected to the present tenancy, could enable immediate possession proceedings to be initiated."

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