A police unit to prevent violent crime has opened its first operation outside Scotland’s major cities – in Ayr’s Wallacetown.

The Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) has moved into the area as it is among the poorest in Scotland.

The team aim to stop attacks such as stabbings occurring in the first place by concentrating on the causes. 

Its new base will be at Newton Primary headed up by Ayrshire Inspector Jason Peter.

Since the VRU’s creation in 2005, homicides in Scotland have more than halved. 

Scottish VRU director Niven Rennie said problems with health, drug addiction, alcohol, homelessness are all linked to violence.

Ex-chief superintendent Rennie said: “You can’t separate violence from anything else. It is driven by poverty. We can’t just arrest our way out of this problem.

“I had not realised that outside Glasgow, Wallacetown has some of the worst outcomes. We need to start working from the ground up and give the kids better hope and opportunity. 

“Services need to be delivered in a joined up manner.”

Mr Rennie added: “No-one wakes up with the ambition to be an alcoholic or drug addict. We need to walk a mile in their shoes. We can bring 15 years of experience in tackling these issues.”

The unit works with communities, schools, social services, police, the NHS, charities and others to help offenders and young potential criminals walk away from committing violent crime.

Mentors talking to young people at risk of carrying knives and other education methods are promoted by the unit to prevent violence. Another project sees specially trained staff – called Navigators – support people who end up in A&E with injuries after being assaulted.

Inspector Peter, project lead of the VRU in Ayrshire, aims to talk to people who live there and coordinate ongoing work in the North Ayr ward.

Inspector Peter said: “The deprivation statistics in Wallacetown speak for themselves. But we want to speak to people about their quality of life.

“There is an impact from drugs, crime, employment opportunities and housing. These are impacting negatively on people’s lives. 

“Aspirations and hope are missing. There are brilliant people staying here and people who do great work.”

Inspector Peter who has been researching the area said it started as a slum in 1760. 

Sadly hundreds of years later the area is still blighted by poverty and the local foodbank is badly needed. 

He pointed out nearly half the population of Wallacetown are ranked in the five per cent most deprived datazones in Scotland.

Inspector Peter said: “We need to build a relationship with the people who stay here. There is an issue with violence.”

Boosting optimism again is part of that – in an area where the primary school is the only facility.

He said: “It is about hope. People need to see there are opportunities. People speak fondly of the 1960s and their gran’s flat. What has shifted?

“This is about listening to people and supporting them to take steps to help themselves. But they need somebody to take an interest.”

The unit began work in Wallacetown earlier this year. Hopes are that it will be rolled out to other areas in towns across Scotland.

It has already been replicated down in London and other parts of England with a number of VRUs established following success north of the border. 

Since the VRU was formed homicides have dropped significantly in Scotland from 137 in 2005 to about 59 occurring annually during recent years. 

Mr Rennie said: “People have to be responsible for bad behaviour. If they commit an act of violence they have to answer for that. But we aim to prevent it happening.”