Manchester United star Andy Cole and manager Sir Alex Ferguson will today pledge their support for the scheme at a meeting with the chancellor, Gordon Brown, the home secretary, Jack Straw, and the cabinet office minister, Ian McCartney, in Manchester. He expected the cash to be spent on equipment like mobile police stations and schemes to set up more police bases in shopping centres. A drugs like heroin and cocaine, added Mr Straw. Mr McCartney made an impassioned speech in support of today's announcement. No longer can we simply leave it to the police.
Drugs weaken and damage and even destroy communities.
They certainly weaken and damage families who have lost children to drugs. It's difficult enough having someone in your family die but to lose a child in these circumstances is extremely difficult to cope with. It's not just the loss of their life but the loss of the life to come. He gave his backing to the sporting projects which will attempt to draw young people away from a life of crime and drug abuse by encouraging them to take part in sporting and education projects. Asked whether there was any evidence that such schemes had any effect, Mr McCartney said 28 pilot projects had shown positive results.