OVERALL crime is failing but offences involving guns are on the up, according to figures released by Lancashire police.

The quarterly crime statistics showed robbery was down seven per cent and violent crime fell by 4.5 per cent.

The largest reductions were vehicle crime which was down 16 per cent and burglary slashed by 10 per cent..

However the figures, covering the period from July to September 2007, show a rise in gun crime of one per cent.

Police said they could not provide figures for the number of incidents of gun crime.

Nationally, the increase in gun crime was four per cent - 427 offences up to a total of 10,182 incidents.

But Home Office statisticians said the main increase had been in incidents in which guns had been used to threaten but no one had been hurt.

Jerry Graham, Assistant Chief Constable, said tackling gun crime was a priority area although firearms incidents in Lancashire were rare.

The British Crime Survey - which measures people's experience of crime - just published also shows a fall in incidents.

ACC Graham said: "The crime figures show a reduction in some of our key priority areas such as robbery, burglary and violent crime.

"It is also very encouraging that the British Crime Survey shows the risk of becoming a victim of crime in Lancashire is at its lowest since the survey began in 1981.

"It should be remembered that incidents involving firearms are thankfully very rare and Lancashire has relatively few incidents compared to some other areas of the north west and other parts of the country."

Crime figures compared from July to September 2006 to the same period last year

  • Violent crime: -4.5 per cent.

2006: 5410. 2007: 5169.

  • Robbery: -7 per cent.

2006: 262. 2007: 244.

  • Burglary: -10.4 per cent.

2006: 1436. 2007: 1286.

  • Vehicle crime -16 per cent.

2006: 3630. 2007: 3046.