Downing Street has told Whitehall departments to stump up the cash to fund a new anti-social behaviour unit, according to reports.

In a bid to get to grips with a civil service turf war over the the government's drive to foster a culture of 'respect' in society, the prime minister has warned that infighting risks damaging the effort.

According to a letter leaked over the weekend, Tony Blair asked the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Department for Education and Skills to match a £30m sum already pledged by the Home Office for its new unit.

The taskforce unveiled last week by Blair is to be led by controversial Home Office civil servant Louise Casey.

But the cross-government push on anti-social behaviour has been subject to inter-departmental squabbling since it was announced after the general election in May.

The prime minister appointed ally David Miliband to the new post of communities and local government secretary, to work on the policy as a Cabinet-level deputy to John Prescott.

But it is thought that move only came after the idea of creating a new 'respect' department under former home secretary David Blunkett had been blocked.

The Home Office also fought a rearguard action to keep control of the agenda, while Blair personally took over the chairmanship of the relevant Cabinet committee on anti-social behaviour.

It has now emerged that the prime minister wrote to Miliband last month to urge closer working relationships and to appeal for cash from the ODPM's budget.

He said the money did not necessarily need to be transferred to the 'respect unit', but "does need to be tracked by them with you, to take action now and deliver results".

"I am firmly of the view, though, that the 'respect' programme of work will not be able to function and deliver the kind of results we are all hoping to achieve without clear and dedicated funds from the relevant departments," Blair wrote.