A strategy to help drug abusers break out of the destructive cycle of crime and addiction has been promoted at the March meeting of the town's anti-crime partnership.

The event at the Keighley Disabled People's Centre featured a presentation from the government's Drug Intervention Programme.

Partnership worker Rebecca Trueman said: "It was to help raise awareness about the programme and share information."

The national anti-drugs initiative receives about £165 million a year in funding. It targets adults who take Class A drugs such as heroin and cocaine and who commit crime to fund their habit.

The programme offers treatment and support to offenders as soon as they come into contact with the police. It requires addicts to seek treatment as part of a community sentence.

Figures revealed crime fell by 33 per cent in Bradford, when the scheme was first launched there two years ago.

The anti-crime partnership meeting also included a crime statistics presentation by the police.

The 'Strategic Intelligence Analysis' covered issues such as the number of offences in the town centre, car theft and crime 'hotspots' such as Braithwaite and Knowle Park.

Councillor Andrew Mallinson, who chairs the partnership, said the group was designed to challenge its members to come up with new, innovative solutions to fighting crime. It meets once every two months to bring together representatives from organisations such as the Youth Service and Keighley Town Centre Association.