BOLTON West MP Ruth Kelly today welcomed a £2.4 million boost to tackle street Crime across Greater Manchester.

The county's police chiefs are to receive the Home Office windfall in addition to an extra £5 million they recently received to help them police the Commonwealth Games.

Ms Kelly said: "This extra funding will help in the fight against street crime and anti-social behaviour in Bolton.

"It builds on the funding announced earlier this year and the partnership approach to beating crime.

"It will also help expand existing schemes to divert young people from crime by tackling truancy and through constructive activities to keep children off the street." The award comes under the £340 million Street Crime, Counter-Terrorism, Policing and Prisons package announced by the Government last month.

It is thought police will use the £2.4 million under Operation Hawk, GMP's commitment to tackle street crime which has already seen 452 people arrested in six weeks.

A police spokesman said the money has not yet been divided up for individual areas of Greater Manchester.

"Having lobbied the Home Office on the issue of policing and security for the Commonwealth Games, I am pleased that the Government have allocated more money in this area," he said.