Residents in a part of Bradford have declared themselves a Community against Drugs'.

In a highly-visible campaign, substance misuse is being challenged by the BD3 Neighbourhood Partnership, which includes places of worship, schools, police, community centres and drugs agencies.

Key aspects of the campaign include an initiative to train imams from mosques in drugs awareness to allow them to deliver sermons on the issue.

More than 100 lamp-post signs carrying anti-drug messages can now be seen across the neighbourhood and a dozen two-metre banners, designed by primary school children, were also put up along Leeds Road. In addition, 10,000 A5 flyers, three large fence banners and 100 A3 posters are in circulation.

Michael Churley, neighbourhood partnership manager for Bradford Vision, said: "We are hoping to really kick start a greater reporting of drug dealing."

Students at Laisterdyke Business and Enterprise College and Carlton Bolling College are among those to have taken part in the campaign.

Memo Training Consultancy has been running a training session based around the television show Deal Or No Deal.

Melissa Simpson, of Memo, said: "The session uses a format which appeals to young people and aims to give youngsters greater information on the danger of rugs."

Lynne Harrison, vice-principal at Laisterdyke College, said: "Replacing the television programme's banker with phone calls from a pretend drug dealer certainly grabbed your attention."

Staff at Young People's Drug and Alcohol Service have also set up information stalls at the schools and met with parents to tell them about support services people can turn to for free and confidential advice. Service manager Hugh Bryson said: "The BD3 campaign has been successful in bringing agencies, workers and local people together.

"We hope this initiative gives people, young and old, the knowledge of what they can do to help the police combat drug problems and the confidence to ask services like ours for help when they first need it."

Councillor David Ward, chairman of the Bradford North Area Committee, said: "This initiative shows that local communities are able to recognise problems and actively lead on providing solutions. This has been a true partnership approach involving a wide range of local organisations."

Councillor Riaz Ahmed (Lib Dem, Bradford Moor) said: "This is a great example of partners working together at the neighbourhood level to tackle a local problem. Everyone should be congratulated especially local schoolchildren."

It is hoped the campaign will lead to a rise in reports of drug dealing. Anyone with information should contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

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