Police have thanked Bolton residents for telling police about key areas where anti-social behaviour is blighting the town.

Operation Arden has seen police patrolling particular hotspots in Bolton where young people congregate and disturb residents, with many patrols out this weekend.

On Friday night police had to disperse a group of 50 youths in Horwich, some of whom had to be taken home as they were too drunk.

Bolton's chief inspector, Mike Russell, has reassured residents that police do have a targeted response to incidents of anti-social behaviour.

He said in a statement: "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."