POLICE in Truro are to step up their fight against violent crime as tough new measures come into force this week.

People abusing anti-social laws in the city can expect the heavy arm of the law to come down on them as can those who carry weapons.

The new measures, part of the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006, give police and communities strong powers to tackle violent crimes involving guns, knives, alcohol, mobile phones and football.

From this week it is an offence to use someone to hide or carry a weapon. Previously, offenders could avoid prosecution if they passed a weapon to someone else to hide or carry for them. That person could then be arrested and prosecuted, but the owner of the weapon would go free.

This new offence means that the owner of the weapon can now be prosecuted simply for using someone else to look after it. The measures also allow for longer sentences for offenders, where the person used to hide or carry the weapon is a minor and the offender an adult. The maximum sentence is four years in the case of knives, ten years in the case of guns.

The range of offences for which an offender can be given a mandatory minimum five year sentence is being extended. Until now, the minimum sentence only applied to the offence of simply possessing a prohibited firearm. From this week this will apply to a wider range of possession offences, including possession of firearm with intent to injure; possession of firearm with intent to cause fear of violence; use of firearm to resist arrest; carrying firearm with criminal intent; carrying a firearm in a public place; and trespassing in a building with firearm.

New powers for police and trading standards officers to penalise licensed premises that persistently sell alcohol to under-18s are also introduced. If a licensed premise is found to have sold alcohol to a minor three times in a three month period, the licence-holder now faces prosecution with their licence suspended for three months along with a £10,000 fine.

It is also an offence to offer to or agree to re-programme a mobile phone. Anyone caught doing this faces up to five years in jail and/or an unlimited fine.

A series of measures have also be introduced to stamp our violence and disorder at football matches.