101 campaign launched

The service, which helped tackle anti-social behaviour in Melton, Rutland and other areas of Leicester and Leicestershire, was axed in December when the Home Office withdrew its funding.

More than 70,000 calls were made to the hotline following its launch in Leicester and Rutland in September 2006. The scheme was later extended to cover the Melton borough and Harborough district.

Call advisers were able to offer support to callers and, if appropriate, arrange police or council action. The service also helped local councils and police target troublemakers, improve the quality of life for local people and reduce the fear of crime.

Some elements of the 101 scheme, such as the Inter-agency Community Safety Bureau (ICSB), have continued to monitor calls about anti-social behaviour, helping to identify emerging problems and resolve them.

But councillor Matthew O' Callaghan, who represents Melton north on Leicestershire County Council, posted an online petition to the number 10 website calling for The Prime Minister 'to fund a 101 phone service to cover the whole of Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland to respond to anti-social behaviour and non-emergency calls.'

It also calls for the local county, city and district councils in the area to work together with police and others to implement the service, if necessary with local funding, as well as working together to eliminate anti-social behaviour.

Dr O'Callaghan said: "What I'm asking for is that within the year the county, city and district councils and the police work together towards implementing a system ideally funded by The Government but if not then between the various authorities.

"Each district has its own emergency number but if they were all merged into a core county/city emergency number surely there would be savings, it would mean less confusion and councils could target resources where they should be."

He added: "These petitions normally run for a year but this is urgent. We need people to sign up now. Within the next month or so we need enough people to sign it to make an impression on the politicians."

To add your name visit http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Leicester101line/