BASINGSTOKE police are one step ahead of a new Government policy to get tough with the "top 15" offenders in every neighbourhood, according to the town's most senior officer.

Prime Minister Tony Blair has unveiled plans to crack down on the small minority of hardened criminals who are responsible for one in 10 crimes.

In a speech delivered to the Local Government Association conference last month, the PM said: "A hardcore of prolific offenders - just 5,000 people - commit around one million crimes every year, nearly 10 per cent of all crime.

"That's only 15 or 20 people for each of our Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships. Yet they are wreaking havoc."

Mr Blair said that each partnership would be asked, by the summer, to identify those hardcore criminals whose behaviour caused the most harm to local neighbourhoods.

"We need catching and convicting these prolific offenders to become a key priority for local Crime and Disorder Partnerships," he added.

However, divisional commander Superintendent Paul Netherton said that the 15 most prolific offenders in Basingstoke - those regularly behind burglaries and vehicle crime - had already been identified and targeted.

"Most crime in Basingstoke is committed by a small number of individuals who we are aware of and are concentrating our priorities on," he said.

"We have always had a policy of targeting those criminals who we know are the most active. We will use all available powers, execute warrants and simply be watching those individuals who we know are active criminals. We will have a zero tolerance approach towards any of those individuals who commit crime."

He added: "We are also working with the courts to ensure we maximise sentences against them, and are working with other agencies to try and divert them from crime through drug treatment and education.

"Unfortunately, quite often, their criminal behaviour is fuelled by drugs and we take a hard line on the dealing of drugs and on stopping drugs coming into the area."