Police in Workington say efforts to tackle antisocial behaviour by youths are paying off - with reported incidents down by more than a quarter.

Issues ranging from graffiti and criminal damage to assaults have been reported in the town centre over the past three years.

Cumbria police is seeking permission from Allerdale council to install gates on the back lane that runs between Subway on Murray Road and Argos on Upton Street.

And town centre management company Scoop is planning to install CCTV.

A spokesman said: "The new gates, if given the go-ahead, would prevent some of the antisocial behaviour in the area where youths can gather undetected and commit offences and cause serious issues for shopkeepers whose premises back on to this lane.

"The proposed gates are the latest in a long line of proactive measures taken since 2015 to tackle issues of antisocial behaviour in the town."

It comes as police reveal the number of incidents recorded in the year to the end of January were down 26 per cent on the previous 12 months.

An operation in December saw PCSOs disperse people whose behaviour had caused or could cause people to feel harassed, alarmed or distress, or if their dispersal was deemed necessary to reduce the likelihood of antisocial behaviour, crime or disorder.

Police have reported a reduction in the number of youths coming into the town during the operation.

Other measures have included carrying out test purchase operations, installing mosquito devices, which emit high-pitched sounds only audible to young people, to help disperse antisocial groups, and offering advice to businesses which were leaving their WiFi connections open during the evenings, providing an attraction for young people.

Prosecutions have also been brought against young people committing crimes including violent disorder and possessing offensive weapons, with sentences ranging from custody to fines.

Officers have also worked in hotspot areas to prevent crime through improved security.

Sergeant Lorraine Murphy said: “Youth antisocial behaviour is distressing for those members of the community who suffer from it on a regular basis and feel it impacts on their quality of life.

"It can cause a climate of fear within communities and police will continue to work alongside partner agencies to tackle and reduce the problem in areas where people are affected.

"It is important for people to know that antisocial behaviour is and continues to be a priority for our officers in West Cumbria.”

Felicity Marsden of Taylor Rose solicitors said: “The police have been extremely proactive in trying to resolve the issues we have had and have gone above and beyond in the work they have done to try and sort the antisocial behaviour around the Murray Road area.”

Graham Cameron of Sole It Lock It said: “The police have always been there when needed and pushed things in the right direction when required. A lot of hard work has been done.”