Police and the emergency services have revealed plans to cut arson and domestic violence in Lewes district.

The move was unveiled at a meeting of the community partnership between Sussex Police, Lewes District Council, East Sussex County Council and East Sussex Fire Brigade.

Its aim is to foster co-operation in the fight against crime and to underline that it is not just the police's responsibility.

They also want to deal positively with issues affecting young people and reduce the fear of crime.

There were 170 arrests in the Lewes district connected with domestic violence from April 1998 to 1999, compared with 125 arrests from April 1999 to April 2000.

Superintendent Simon Parr said the force was working closely with Victim Support and East Sussex County Council to tackle domestic violence.

He said projects were attempting to warn young people of the danger both to themselves and others of dabbling with so-called recreational drugs.

He admitted they were struggling with car crime, particularly when people left valuables on display in their cars.

In the light of 190 recorded arson fires in the Lewes District Council area for the year ending in March, the Fire Brigade said it would be working more closely with the police.

John Ticehurst, Assistant Divisional Officer at East Sussex Fire Brigade, said: "Our aim is to investigate more fully all the fires we attend.

Trained fire investigation officers work very closely with the police at scenes of crime to investigate and find out the true cause."

Other projects discussed at the meeting at the Meridian Centre in Peacehaven included young people designing and building a skatepark in Lewes. Targeting car crime and house burglary blackspots was also debated.