Police in Bolton are launching an operation to tackle anti-social behaviour across the borough.

A 'long-term' proactive policing operation will commence today and target key anti-social behaviour hotspots that have been identified through community intelligence from local residents and GMP data, police said.

Police say this will mean increased high-visibility patrols to reassure communities and prevent and detect criminal behaviour.

Officers will also work alongside local partners to understand the causes of anti-social behaviour so that appropriate proactive action can take place to target the issue.

Chief Inspector Mike Russell of GMP's Bolton District said: "GMP and our local partners have listened to the concerns from residents of Bolton and have developed a targeted response to tackle anti-social behaviour.

"Communities should be safe and reassuring places for everyone, so I want to assure people that we are dedicated to tackling this kind of behaviour and are proactively working with partners to take a swift and robust approach.

“It’s easy to underestimate the impact anti-social behaviour has on our local communities, especially during unprecedented times such as these, but we understand it can have a lasting impact on neighbourhoods and communities and often leads to an increase in crime, particularly violence and criminal damage.

"Finally, I would like to thank the people of Bolton for your continued support which has enabled us to identify the key locations where our patrols will regularly visit. The locations will be frequently reviewed and updated based on the intelligence we receive."

The public can report incidents to GMP on our website via the LiveChat function, through the reporting form or by calling 101. Always dial 999 in an emergency.