More than 700 extra hours of police patrols have been carried out in Cumbria.

The extra patrols were carried out over the past three months as part of Operation Enhance. This is an operation by Cumbria Police aimed at reducing antisocial behaviour in the county. The operation began on July 1 and will run until the end of March 2025.

It sees police carry out extra patrols in 18 areas across Carlisle, Barrow, Workington, Whitehaven, Kendal, Penrith, Maryport, Cleator Moor, Ulverston and Bowness-on-Windermere.

These are areas identified by the police as having the most antisocial behaviour and serious violence.

The operation has been made possible thanks to £1 million of extra funding secured by Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner from the Government’s Hotspot Response Fund to target antisocial behaviour and serious violence in hotspot areas across the county.

Since the operation started, 720 extra hours of patrols have been carried out, with 240 of those in September.

There have been 115 stop and searches, 309 intelligence submissions, and antisocial behaviour powers have been used on 11 occasions.

The operation has also led to 33 arrests, 11 of which were in September.

The extra patrols have coincided with a significant reduction in antisocial behaviour across the hotspot areas compared to the previous year, while instances of serious violence are reduced significantly in hotspot areas, compared to the rest of the county.

Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, David Allen, said: "Tackling anti-social behaviour is one of my key priorities and is also a public priority highlighted to me by the public in my recent Police, Fire and Crime Survey. It will be the number one priority in my forthcoming Police, Fire and Crime Plan.

"This funding has helped put extra patrols in our hotspot areas and tackle ASB and serious violence.

"These extra patrols are combatting these crime types and I hope that our residents are seeing a difference and feel safer in their own communities.

"Tackling crime is the priority but I also want to see the wider effects less crime has on our great county. I want our residents and visitors to feel safer, to see less criminal or nuisance behaviour and to have growing trust in their Policing services.

"If you live in one of the Hotspots – which you can find on the Cumbria Police website – and have or haven’t seen a difference, please let me know at commissioner@cumbria-pcc.gov.uk. I am your voice in Policing and I want to hear your views."

Chief superintendent Andy Wilkinson said: "Three months into this operation and what we are seeing is a tangible and significant impact on antisocial behaviour and instances of serious violence in the targeted communities.

"Whilst the primary purpose of the operation is increased visibility, I am proud that officers are also swift to respond to breaking incidents in their locality. Their swift actions is resulting in people who negatively impact their own communities via drugs offences or shoplifting being arrested and taken to custody.

"Our hotspot patrol officers on the ground are feeding back the positivity they are seeing on the ground – from praise for action taken against youths to shopkeepers reporting seeing a reduction in shoplifting.

"The funding secured by the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office has ensured we are fully committed to this operation well into 2025 so will continue to be seen and action will continue to be taken in the weeks and months ahead."