Hastings, blighted by high violent crime levels, has been singled out by the Government for a special policing plan.

Home Office Minister Bob Ainsworth said the resort would become a new "policing priority area" in a bid to give fresh confidence to terrified householders.

He said the town would receive targeted support from the Government.

The announcement today followed a crime summit held in the town last week to discuss how to curb violent crime. Hastings and St Leonards has the 11th-highest violent crime rate in the country and is ranked in the top 30 most deprived towns in the UK, according to Home Office figures.

Police and local groups will be asked to work more closely together in the hope of conquering problems such as drugs and alcohol-related crime.

The police will be offered support from the Police Standards Unit to implement the scheme and establish new partnerships.

The PSU has a budget of £250,000 to help with start-up costs and Hastings is one of only five new priority areas named today.

The others are in crime hotspots Mansfield, in Nottinghamshire, Salford, Greater Manchester, Easington, Durham, and Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.

PPAs were set up in Bradford, Stoke, Rhyl and Southwark last year and have won the backing of residents and shopkeepers.

Mr Ainsworth said: "I am pleased we are able to extend the positive experiences of the policing priority areas to more regions where it is most needed to tackle crime and improve public reassurance."

Hastings Borough Council leader Jeremy Birch told last week's crime summit, attended by community groups, that the council would soon take responsibility for liquor licensing in a bid to cut crime.

He said most violent crime in the town was alcohol-related.

Specific local community action plans are due to be drawn up over the next few weeks.