Drugs, gangs, knife crime and graffiti are just some of the priorities for new police task force in Fylde and Wyre

The task force, made up of four officers, is part of a county-wide investment to boost the frontline, with another team in place in Blackpool.

Chief Insp Marie Haworth, who oversees policing in Fylde and Wyre,praised the impact the new officers since arriving last month.

The task force works to tackle a range of local issues – from knife crime to drugs and anti-social behaviour – based on feedback from residents. That includes a recent clamp-down on graffiti in St Annes.

Ch Insp Haworth said of the team’s work so far: “We’ve made some arrests, we’ve got some on-going cases still going through the criminal justice system”.

While she said the task force was “in its infancy” she said it was already helping to tackle crime hotspots –and providing a welcome boost for the rest of the force.

Years of austerity have seen the force’s budget slashed and the county lost 750 officers since 2010. But the new team is part of an investment that will see an extra 150 officers recruited in Lancashire.

Ch Insp Haworth added: “It’s really pleasing for the team to see new officers coming in. I’m seeing an improvement in terms of morale and wellbeing.”

Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire Clive Grunshaw said it was “just the start” and he hoped to build on the investment after years of having resources “stripped away”.

He said the force is still “600 officers down” compared to 2010 and said he would push to get “our fair share” of future funding.

Priorities for the task force include: drug dealing, anti-social beahviour, burglary and organised crime.

Ch Insp Haworth said the team will tackle the problems that matter most to the public.

She added: “We want communities to speak to us and tell us about the crimes and incidents that are impacting on their quality of life.”