A COUNCILLOR has slammed the degradation of the town centre but welcomed new funds which have been released to fix the underlying issues.

Bill McEwan said parts of Barrow were 'embarrassing' and 'a mess'.

This comes after Cumbria’s Police and Crime Commissioner Peter McCall secured £405,470 of funding for the town from the Home Office’s Safer Streets Fund to help reduce anti-social behaviour (ASB).

Councillor McEwan said: "I am glad to hear this. I think this is a very welcome initiative and I think it will go a long way.

"I do not know if we will ever get the shops back but the area needs sorting out - Portland Walk is like downtown Beirut on a bad day."

Police officers and community workers have already been in Barrow's Portland Walk, giving young people outdoor activities in the town centre and three teenagers were arrested in Ulverston as part of extra policing work there.

Read more: Anti-social behaviour: Community work in Barrow and teens arrested in Ulverston

The back lanes to the rear of Cavendish Street and Scott Street will receive street lighting as they were identified for reoccurring ASB regularly and police find patrolling difficult due to the darkness.

Councillor McEwan said: "More lights and brighter lights will help. We have areas which are quite concealed due to darkness so I am 100 per cent behind this."

Barrow Borough Council’s Safer and Stronger Streets Officers will receive extra equipment including body-worn cameras, body armour and radios, and further training to help reduce ASB and provide comfort to communities.

The body-worn video will aim to reassure residents, challenge poor behaviours and provide evidence to the police, when necessary.

The funding will also pay for REAL (Relate, Engage and Listen) outreach workers who work on the streets where they are needed, specifically targeting young people who have been identified as causing ASB.

Reparation work will also be offered to victims and offenders to repair harm caused by ASB. Remedi, who are currently commissioned by the PCC in Cumbria, will provide this service. 

The aim of the reparation work is to help victims recover, give them the opportunity to discuss their case with professionals, and have their voice heard by the offender the harm caused.  This will also help the offender understand impact of their behaviour allowing them to make amends and resolve the situation without Police and Criminal Justice involvement.

Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) will receive additional crime prevention training to help them support victims of ASB. The training will also help PCSOs identify problems within the community and provide a more evidence-based approach to finding a solution.