A DEADLY crossbow and cannabis have been seized by a new police task force.

Pendle Task Force seized the items, which also included some bolts and a hockey stick, from a vehicle in Nelson this morning.

Police said the offender has been identified. 

The task force is targeting organised crime gangs, burglars, drug dealers and cross-border criminals, and has been launched in Pendle and the Ribble Valley

The team of five officers is the first of nine task forces to be launched across the county, specifically focussing on local priorities, including tackling anti-social and targeting wanted criminals.

Other areas to get the dedicated team of five officers are Blackburn and Burnley.

The task force will work alongside existing neighbourhood officers, who have responsibility for specific geographical areas within their team.

However the task force officers will work across the entire neighbourhood team patch, with a focus on proactively investigating areas of crime, highlighted as priorities by residents within the patch.