More officers will patrol the streets as part of the crackdown

Up to 1,200 staff could be released from normal duties for one day each month as part of a national campaign to tackle group disorder.

Strathclyde Police said more officers would patrol the streets and that people suspected of carrying knives would be subjected to stop-and-search.

A report published this month estimated there were 170 gangs in the area.

Speaking at the launch of the Safer Scotland collective violence campaign, Strathclyde Police Chief Constable Steve House said the initiative was not just about high visibility policing.

He said: "The extra officers are not a one-off and this campaign is not a short-term fix. We are in this for the long haul and this will be how we do our everyday business from now on."

The move is part of a wider campaign aimed at reducing violence and improving community safety. The force will look at areas such as weapons, anti-social behaviour, organised crime and domestic abuse later in the year.

Chief Constable Steve House has defended his force's record on gangs

Earlier this month the chief constable defended his force's record on tackling group disorder after a report claimed Glasgow had as many gangs as London, despite having a fraction of the population.

The Centre for Social Justice, which was founded by former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith, warned that there were an estimated 170 teenage gangs in Glasgow.

But Mr House insisted Strathclyde Police had been successful in hampering gang activity across the city through initiatives like Operation Phoenix, which led to a drop of 73% in weekend gang fights in the Easterhouse area.