A POLICE chief has warned that Preston must be prepared to take on its new city status -- and avoid falling victim to deprivation and crime.

Chief Superintendent Russ Weaver talked of improving the quality of life for the city's diverse communities when the Preston Strategic Partnership gave local groups the chance to share in their vision for the next decade.

At a public meeting on Wednesday when Preston Strategic Partnership gave private, public, community and voluntary groups the chance to share in their vision for the next decade -- City Vision 2012.

The plan is aimed at improving local communities and focused on seven topics; safety, health, education, quality housing, the environment, culture and diversity and business investment.

The improvement package laid down measures the partnership hope to have in place before Preston Guild 2012.

The meeting was hosted by chief executive of Preston City Council Jim Carr and council leader Councillor Ian Hall and more than 200 people attended.

Coun Hall said that safety was a big issue on the agenda following the violence in Deepdale on Sunday.

He added: "The vision is to transform Preston and increase the pride of the people here. The community needs to let us know what it wants so that we deliver."

The partnership is made up of members from Preston City Council, Lancashire County Council, the University of Central Lancashire, police, local health authorities, the Council for Voluntary Service and the Chamber of Trade. But Chief Superintendent Russ Weaver, who talked of improving the quality of life for the diverse communities of Preston, believes poverty is directly linked to crime.

The divisional commander of Preston police, who witnessed the fracas in Deepdale at the weekend, said Preston could avoid many of the problems experienced in other cities.

He said: "There are many other big inner city areas with deprivation, poor housing and poor health and this is where crime often starts.

"In Preston if we address these issues now then there is no reason why we should go down the same path.

"Preston may grow with investment over the next ten years -- to respond to any changes there is a scanning process in place which will provide Lancashire Constabulary with more officers if we need them, but it is not a bottomless pit."

Faruk Desai, director of the Racial Equality Council, said that by promoting community and religious tolerance preventative measures were being taken -- that social inclusion was important and to educate people about prejudice would help.

The strategies put forward at the meeting are to be reviewed as an ongoing project to improve the quality of life in the communities of Preston.

But Ishwer Tailor, president of the Gujarat Hindu Society, said the measures were not fool proof. He added: "The year 2012 is a long way off. Lots of things could happen between now and then."