ROSSENDALE Police have joined forces with Rossendale Borough Council in a bid to slash crime in a problem area of the Valley.

New portable CCTV cameras aim to cut juvenile nuisance and burglaries in Rawtenstall.

Officers said the equipment will help them spy on potential criminals and use film as vital evidence.

The cameras have been funded by the Home Office, following an application from the town's Community Safety Partnership.

A pot of £10,000 was awarded to help fund the scheme which the partnership believe will work towards a significant drop in crime, in particular areas of the town.

The cameras have been on a trial run since Christmas and have already proved to be a success.

Five juveniles have been arrested to date, two have been charged with burglary, two have been bailed until a further date and another is to be questioned by police.

According to Inspector Roger Ravenscroft, Rawtenstall has one of the highest burglary rates in the Valley and believes this is the way forward for the town.

He said: "The cameras were bought out of Rossendale Community Safety Partnership's Small Retailers and Deprived Areas fund.

"The cameras have already proved themselves to be a wise investment and we have already seen a drop in crime in places they been targeting.

"In particular, the Bank Street area and the Valley Centre have benefited from the cameras, although they are mobile so they will be moved around so the criminals of the town will not know where they are from one day to the next."

Trish Ellins, Community Safety Officer for Rossendale Borough Council, works in partnership with the police to look at various ways of how the agencies can work together to tackle crime.

She said: "We have been working on getting the funding for some time now because Rawtenstall didn't have any CCTV surveillance.

"With the new cameras we aim to prevent crime and also bring those committing crime to justice, which will go towards ensuring Rawtenstall is a more appealing place to be."