RESIDENTS in a burglary-plagued area of York are to get their say in how an injection of crime-busting cash will be spent.

More than £30,000 is available to allow people in the Bootham area to increase the security of their homes and reduce their fear of crime.

Residents will be asked which measures they think will work best for them, from increased street lighting to alarms, Neighbourhood Watch schemes and physical security.

And they will be asked if they want alleyways behind their homes to be gated off.

Inspector Colin Bowes of York police, working with Safer York Partnership, said putting gates at the end of alleyways was crucial to driving down crime. "Alleyways are an access point for about 90 per cent of burglaries in the area and by sealing them off we can greatly improve residents' security," he said.

A similar project in Scarborough led to a massive 95 per cent reduction in crime.

Cash for the security initiative comes from the Home Office's burglary reduction initiative matched with a contribution from the North Clifton Regeneration Project.

North Yorkshire Police and Neighbourhood Watch volunteers will from July 17 go door to door to talk to residents about their experiences of crime and ask how they think the money would be best spent.

It is the first time such a consultation exercise has been carried out in the city.

York Neighbourhood Watch executive co-ordinator Deborah Lynch said: "We are going out to survey all householders to see just what security measures they want.

"Everyone will have to agree if alleyways are to be gated off, but these are regularly used as escape routes by burglars and by doing so we will be able to drastically cut crime."

The targeted streets include Pembroke Street, Grosvenor Terrace, Scarborough Terrace and Baker Street, Bootham Terrace and Newborough Street.

Residents who are not at home when the canvassers call are asked to fill in the forms themselves and return them to Safer York Partnership.

david.wiles@ycp.co.uk