Labour will wage pounds 300m war on drugs.

Byline: David Barrett 

The Government yesterday gave details of a pounds 300 million package to combat drugs in the community.

The cash will be spent on high visibility policing of drug blackspots, extra community wardens, additional CCTV cameras and anti-truancy projects.

Chancellor Gordon Brown and Cabinet Office minister Ian McCartney will be teaming up with a host of top sports stars later today to launch a pounds 5 million scheme to steer young people away from drugs.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, England and United star Andy Cole and former Great Britain rugby league winger Martin Offiah will give their support to the Positive Futures Campaign.

Mr Brown, Mr McCartney and Home Secretary Jack Straw launched the pounds 220 million Communities Against Drugs scheme in London, which will allow the 376 Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships in England and Wales to bid for between pounds 500,000 and pounds 1 million to tackle drug dealers.

'We are not just fighting drugs but fighting also the causes of drugs,' said Mr Brown.

Mr Straw said: 'The funding that we are announcing will make a real difference to hundreds of communities across the country.

'This is about putting money right into the front line of crime. The money will allow local solutions to local problems.

'These projects will be demonstrating that they will be able to disrupt drug markets and tackle drug-related crime.'

He expected the cash to be spent on equipment like mobile police stations and schemes to set up more police bases in shopping centres.

Security cameras, security lighting and so called 'private policemen' or neighbourhood wardens could also be recruited.

The Home Secretary pledged the funds would be 'available quickly without a long-winded bidding process.'

The package would concentrate on highly addictive class A drugs like heroin and cocaine, added Mr Straw.

But no-one should be under any illusion that there were other substances, such as glue, which also ruin lives, he said.

The programme would target the drug barons who create misery in communities across Britain, and ruin thousands of young lives.

'There's essentially a power struggle which has to take place between the forces of evil and the forces of good,' said Mr Straw.

Mr McCartney, the minister responsible for drugs policy in the Cabinet Office, made an impassioned speech in support of the announcement.

His son Hugh, 23, died after a heroin overdose in September 1999, and Mr McCartney spoke with emotion about the damage caused to families by drugs.

He gave his backing to the sporting projects which will attempt to draw young people away from a life of crime and drug abuse by encouraging them to take part in sporting and education projects.