DUNDEE CITY Council administration leader Jill Shimi accompanied First Minister Jack McConnell on a fact-finding mission to Manchester yesterday to discover ways to combat anti-social behaviour.

Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson, council leaders and police from across Scotland also took part.

Manchester City Council has led the way in community-based systems to deal with crime and anti-social behaviour and has set up a nuisance strategy unit to co-ordinate action, placing emphasis on agencies helping victims and witnesses first, rather than offenders.

Mr McConnell said, “Manchester has shown exactly what can be achieved when there is a determination across all agencies to tackle anti- social behaviour.

“My message today is clear: we have the powers to tackle anti-social behaviour, now it is time to act.

“If there are lessons that we can learn from others, I am determined to do so.”

Ironically, as Mrs Shimi was visiting Manchester to look at how anti-social behaviour is tackled there, Prime Minister Tony Blair turned to Dundee in his attempts to solve the problem.

The Dundee Families Project, which works with problem families in secure accommodation, is likely to be imitated across the country in a bid to crackdown on anti-social behaviour.

The pilot scheme in Dundee has been run as a partnership between the city council and charity National Children’s Homes.

Mrs Shimi said, “The families project was the result of concern within the council that we needed to do something positive to address anti-social tenant behaviour rather than just evict people and move the problem on somewhere else.

“I was pleased to be asked to take part in the Manchester visit because, even though we have a successful unit here, it is still important to look at other areas and continue to learn about other ways of tackling problems.”