Penrith, Carlisle, and Workington have all experienced a reduction in anti-social behaviour (ASB) over the past year.

This comes after the areas received funding from the Home Office's Safer Streets Fund.

The Office of the Police, Fire, and Crime Commissioner (OPFCC) in Cumbria was successful in obtaining £820,000 from the fund in 2023 with matching contributions from OPFCC, Cumbria Police, Cumberland Council, and Workington Town Council.

The focus of the funding was to combat ASB in specific areas starting from November 2023.

A reduction in ASB was recorded at Hammond’s Pond in Carlisle (38.5 per cent), Penrith town centre (15.6 per cent), and The Line in Workington (18 per cent) compared to the same period in 2022/23.

The funding was used for various initiatives in these areas.

The work in Hammond’s Pond in Carlisle aimed to tackle off-road vehicle ASB, youth-related ASB, and violence against women and girls (VAWG) offences.

Funds were used to install 17 upgraded lights and four upgraded CCTV cameras, which were integrated into Cumbria Constabulary’s CCTV system.

In Workington's The Line, funds enabled the clearing of greenery for better visibility, the replacement of broken paving to improve accessibility, and adding school murals to cover graffiti.

Signs with direct links to reporting options to the Council and Police were also put up.

In Penrith, the focus was on reducing ASB and anti-social driving (ASD) in the town centre.

Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service expanded their Road Awareness Pack to include virtual reality (VR) technology, allowing young drivers to experience dangerous driving scenarios as virtual passengers.

32 events and sessions were delivered to more than 1,800 people, including young farmers, sixth form students and members of the general public.

In all three areas, a new team of youth outreach workers were employed.

They provided mediation, restorative justice, safeguarding, and intervention with the aim of creating a more respectful environment for residents.

Cumbria’s police, fire, and crime commissioner, David Allen, said: "The extra funding from the Home Office to tackle ASB has had an incredibly positive effect on Penrith, Workington, and Carlisle, and we have seen significant reductions in ASB in these targeted areas."