DRUNKEN thugs in York face being caught on film, after Home Secretary David Blunkett launched a scheme to equip community support officers with video cameras.

The officers are among the first in the country to be given the digital devices to help them prosecute street corner hooligans and drink-fuelled yobs.

The digital cameras, which will be shared between each pair of patrolling officers, have been paid for by City of York Council after the intervention of council leader Steve Galloway.

Chief Inspector Howard Harding, who leads the community policing team, said his officers are helping to target long-term community issues and the cameras would play a vital role in evidence gathering.

Mr Blunkett revealed the new weapon in the war against disorder during a day-long visit to York, in which he also praised the Ratcatcher campaign, first launched by the Evening Press and York Police, which was expanded across North Yorkshire this week.

He said the innovative campaign, which aims to get information from residents about criminal activity and led to 130 calls and 65 arrests in York last year, was "excellent".

Later, at the University of York, Mr Blunkett faced a group of 25 student protesters who criticised the Government's asylum policy, claiming it was unfair and inconsistent.

The 56-year-old Sheffield MP then went on to outline his vision of a united and diverse multi-faith Britain to an audience of more than 500.

He said: "Faith can be the building blocks and the glue of community. It plays a vital role in people's lives - even for those of us who are not overtly religious."

Earlier in the day, the Home Secretary had met some of the police officers, licensees and door staff behind York's successful Pubwatch scheme at the Kings Arms pub, Kings Staith.

He said: "It's unacceptable that the thuggish behaviour of an unruly behaviour minority can make people feel that their city centres are no-go area.

"To tackle these yobs the community need to work with law enforcement agencies to show that they won't tolerate their violent drink-fuelled behaviour."

North Yorkshire's Chief Constable, Della Cannings, who met Mr Blunkett alongside York MP Hugh Bayley, said strategies such as community policing had helped crack down on antisocial behaviour.

Mr Bayley said responsibility lay with parents, neighbours, schools, the police and social services to ensure that problems were dealt with before they escalated.

Jane Mowat, of Safer York Partnership, said: "It is important for central government to get a flavour of what is happening on the ground and the impact of the many successful partnership initiatives underway in York."

Updated: 10:46 Friday, October 31, 2003