THREE East Lancashire locations have been included in the county’s top 10 car crime hotspots.

Squiresgate, Highfield and Stanley police zone near Blackpool Pleasure Beach was the worst – suffering 140 reported incidents in the year to the end of August and 33 in May alone.

But Hyndburn hotspots of Oswaldtwistle and Knuzden (sixth) and Peel, Barnfield and Woodnook wards in Accrington (joint eighth) also featured, while Rosegrove and Lowerhouse in Burnley was seventh.

In all, 10 districts recorded over 100 car-related incidents from the start of September 2017.

Oswaldtwistle and Knuzden, south west of Accrington, notched up 112 .

The figures have been researched by firm 24|7 Vehicle Rescue, based at Clayton-le-Moors.

Director Ranjen Gohri said: “These figures show that car crime continues to be a blight on society.

“It is to be expected that areas close to town centres would have high vehicle-related crime rates, but these figures show incidents are in almost all areas.

“Owners should be able to leave their vehicles at home, car parks or in streets without risk of being broken in to, damaged or stolen, but that is not always the case.

“They can take some comfort in the fact that among these figures are spikes that come and then go, with criminality often lessening over time.

“Vehicle owners should always look to leave their vehicles as safe as possible, including not leaving valuables in open view.

“However, overall it is worrying that incidents against vehicles remain a mainstay of Lancashire’s crime statistics.”

Rosegrove with Lowerhouse, Burnley, had 108 crimes. Peel, Barnfield and Woodnook, east of Accrington, both had 104.

Just outside the top ten were Brierfield and Reedley, at Brierfield, on 99, Accrington town centre’s Central and Springhill wards, on 96, and neighbouring Church with Milnshaw, on 94.

The central Blackburn district of Audley registered 90, while Trinity, part of Burnley town centre, had 88,

Gannow, Burnley, clocked 84.