COUNCILLORS in Colne are set to write to the Chief Constable Steve Finnigan to praise the performance of the town’s police team after it achieved it’s best-ever detection rate.

Nearly four of out 10 crimes in the East Lancashire town have been detected by officers working out of the Craddock Road station during November, which is the highest figure achieved in the Pennnine division area, covering Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale.

Violent crime has dropped by just under a third, 36 to 24, and criminal damage offences have decreased by 23.7 per cent, 38 to 29, comparing 2009 to 2010’s figures, Pendle council’s Colne area committee was told.

Burglaries were also down from six to four offences, year-on-year, in Colne’s Waterside, Horsfield, Vivary Bridge and Rural wards and vehicle crime has dropped by 29.2 per cent, 17 to 12 instances, over the same period.

And police have revealed that a suspect has been charged and will appear before Burnley magistrates accused of a series of burglaries, carried out over the blues festival weekend in August, which saw a number of eateries targeted in a single night.

Coun Violet Vaughan said: “For all of the good work that the police are doing we should write to the Chief Constable, saying how we much appreciate the work of Inspector Fryer and his team.”

Councillors also praised the work employed by officers during the town’s Christmas lights switch-on, especially town centre beat manager Laura Hornby, who dedicated hours of her own time to ensure the arrangements ran smoothly.

Several youngsters tried to mar the end of the ceremony, congregating outside the Co-op store, but officers moved in an dispersed a large gang, issuing penalties to four 15 or 16-year-olds thought to be the worst culprits.

Insp John Fryer, Colne police’s neighbourhood chief, said: “All areas of crime are showing a healthy reduction. Certainly the detection rates are some of the highest we have ever seen.

“The work my officers have been putting in has resulted in this performance, which I am very pleased with.”

The inspector said an arrest had also been made recently with assistance from town centre CCTV cameras - an alleged £2,000 fraud involving a stolen bank card had led to a men being charged.