PLANS are being drawn up to make a second bid for funding to provide Accrington with a mobile CCTV unit.

More than £20,000 has already been raised towards the cost of the scheme, which would enable the police to have a roving eye presence in troubled areas as and when they need it.

But a bid to the Home Office for a further £35,000 from a £220 million pot of cash to promote crime and disorder-tackling projects has failed.

Now council officers are preparing a second bid to access money from the fund, which is doling out the cash over three years.

Harry Ballantyne, regeneration projects manager at Hyndburn FIRST, said: "The money available is for projects which tackle crime and disorder and we are confident this scheme does that

"We will make a fresh bid in the new financial year."

Currently, if police officers want to use mobile CCTV cameras to study crime hotspots, Accrington Police has to rent a special van from their colleagues at Chorley Police Station.

"This is an initiative we would welcome," said Dale Allen, Accrington's police inspector.