HOME Office funding is being pumped into drug services in Bolton to give more effective help to offenders.

Extra cash is being targeted at Community Healthcare Bolton NHS Trust substance misuse service, which has joined forces with Wigan and Bolton Health Authority and Greater Manchester Police to extend on-the-spot screening and assessment for anyone arrested in Bolton police stations.

The Arrest Referral Scheme, launched in October last year, is part of a multi-agency bid to deliver the most appropriate services to drug users involved in crime.

The extra cash means the service is set to double with an extra arrest referral worker being provided in the town.

Pioneering

The partner agencies involved in the scheme are currently advertising for 16 workers to cover the whole of the Greater Manchester region and the full scheme will be launched in May.

Gary Oulds, manager of Wigan and Bolton Substance Misuse Service, said: "We are delighted that this pioneering scheme shows all the signs of being a great success.

"We're also pleased to receive official recognition from Central Government and believe everyone involved in delivering the service will benefit from the extra investment in it."

He added: "Statistics suggest 25 per cent of people arrested are drug users. If we can get involved with these people at an earlier stage we believe our treatment programmed will prove to be more effective."

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