AVON and Somerset Police is set to received £1million to help tackle violent crimes, the Government has announced.

A total of £35million will be handed out to police and crime commissioners.

The Violence Reduction Units will bring together different organisations - including the police, local government, health and community leaders - to tackle violent crime by understanding its root causes.

The teams will be tasked with identifying what is prompting violent crime in the area and coming up with long and short-term plans for tackling it.

The money is being allocated from a pot of £100 million set aside in March to tackle serious violence, the Home Office said.

The cash is set to be spent in the 18 areas worst affected by serious violence.

Policing Minister Kit Malthouse said: "To beat knife crime we must do two things: first we need assertive, high profile police enforcement and second, we need a coordinated approach to the long term solutions to violence in society, especially amongst the young.

"These new units should help us get results on both."

The Metropolitan Police area will receive the most money - £7 million.

Greater Manchester, Merseyside, West Midlands and West Yorkshire will get an equal share of more £3.3 million each.

South Yorkshire, Northumbria, Thames Valley, Lancashire, Essex, Avon and Somerset and Kent will get over £1.1 million each

While Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Bedfordshire, Sussex, Hampshire and South Wales will get £880,000 each.