CRIME-BUSTING community wardens are set to take to the streets of Hyndburn's most deprived area -- along with criminals trying to make amends.

A £206,000 grant from the Government means nine wardens and one supervisor will patrol the Blackburn Road, Accrington, corridor for the next two-and-a-half years.

Part of the scheme will involve convicted criminals serving their community orders in the area in bid to improve life for local people.

The wards around Blackburn Road, including Spring Hill, Central and Barnfield, are among the most deprived in the country, suffering from high crime rates, poor facilities and poor healthcare provision.

Millions of pounds of regeneration cash is set to be pumped into the area, and council bosses hope the the extra £206,000, from the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions, will help reduce crime and improve surroundings.

Seven community wardens will be employed from 3pm until 10pm during the week and all weekend to carry out 'deter patrols,' in a bid to stamp out juvenile nuisance, anti-social behaviour and petty crime. They will report details of major incidents to the police.

One officer will be responsible for working with the Young Offenders Team so that teenage criminals work within the community as punishment, carrying out jobs like graffiti removal.

Adult offenders will also be asked to use part of their community service order to carry out jobs designed to make areas safer, such as fitting new locks to homes.

A 'super caretaker' will also be deployed in one small area, yet to be decided, which has the worst crime rate. He will be responsible for making the area safer by improving street lighting and making sure people know who to contact if they become victims of crime.

Harry Ballantyne, from Hyndburn First, the regeneration arm of Hyndburn Council which bid for the funding, said: "The project will run for two-and-a-half years and we hope the 'super caretaker' will really have turned his small area around by then.

"The community wardens will work from school close until 10pm during the week and will wear a uniform so they can be recognised.

"They will finish before the pubs close, though, because we don't want to put them in any situations where they have to deal with people who have been drinking."

He added: "We will make sure that we are sensitive when it comes to finding people on community service orders to work with the public. No-one will be put at risk."

The boost comes four years after council bosses were forced to axe a pioneering warden scheme in the town centre because they ran out of cash.

The new wardens, serving a different area, have a wider remit in that they help to foster community spirit.

Some 1,100 new schemes have been financed by the Government cash.

Council leader Peter Britcliffe said: "Obviously, I welcome this news as it is more money for an area which is among the most deprived in the country.

"Hopefully, it will be a success and can be expanded in the future. It is all about people working together to feel safe."

Sergeant Graham Eccles, from Accrington Police, said: "We are delighted by the news. We are now working with the relevant people to implement the project and hopefully we will be able to work with the community to make it a much better place to live."

Nationally, some 700 new community wardens are being funded by the government. They will serve 250,000 homes thanks to Government grants totalling £2.9million.