IF Blackburn town centre is considered to be a no-go zone to many people after dark, what is the rest of East Lancashire like? In the fifth part of the Evening Telegraph's probe into drinking, Chief Reporter DAVID HIGGERSON looks further afield. . .

WHEN a town centre is described by a senior judge as being "a modern-day wild west", it's never going to be good for business.

Yet, just four years after that statement by Judge Raymond Bennett about Burnley town centre -- prompted by a string of serious incidents which came before him in the town's crown court -- things have changed in Burnley.

It's still lively, it's still noisy, and it's probably busier than ever, but the message from those in power is that it is much safer.

So much so, that the zero-tolerance approach adopted by police and the council under the name of Burnley Against Night-time Disorder (BAND) has received Home Office praise.

It is accredited for reducing violent crime, increasing visitor numbers and filling empty premises.

Inspector Andy Moore, until recently the officer in charge of BAND, said the prospect of being banned from the town centre had greater impact on some troublemakers than getting a criminal record.

He said: "The scheme works. We have had only two repeat offenders in the time of BAND. According to the Home Office the scheme is in the top five in the country.

"The message is clear: these troublemakers are not wanted. We want people to come and enjoy themselves."

Burnley has also benefited from significant investment from the licensed trade -- the biggest being the millions pumped into Lava and Ignite, in Hammerton Street.

That has created a mix of venues attracting people of different ages -- but everyone admits things can still get better.

Landlords have also felt the need to urge drinkers to be sensible about the amount they drink.

The most recent appeal came from Posh nightclub after a reveller ended up in hospital with burns after trying to set fire to one of his drinks.

Across East Lancashire, the trend appears to be for people on a night out to head into either Blackburn or Burnley or venture further afield.

That has been noted by Accrington's licensees, who have seen their traditional busy Sunday night trade tumble dramatically.

Fears that Accrington might be unsafe to come into at night -- following a string of assaults -- have been put forward as a possible reason for the downturn, in addition to the increased competition from Blackburn and Burnley.

But that's not something Insp Julian Platt, from Accrington Police, believes. He said: "People have nothing to fear. The town centre is very safe all the time.

"We have a presence at night and watch everything which is going on.

"To my mind, Accrington is possibly the safest place in the country. It's fine."

He added that most of the assaults, while committed close to the town centre, were not thought to be related to town centre activities.

Licensees feel Accrington has suffered because of a combination of improvements to neighbouring towns and community pubs staying open later.

This had meant the traditional dash to Accrington town centre from Oswaldtwistle, Great Harwood, Clayton-le-Moors, Rishton and Church is no longer necessary if punters want to keep on drinking after 11pm.

That in turn has pushed anti-social problems in the communities, prompting police to spread resources across the area.

In Clitheroe, which from time-to-time surprises people with the level of rowdiness at weekends, the most recent problems have also been felt further out of the town centre.

Insp Bob Ford, from Clitheroe Police, said: "Clitheroe is a safe place to come out at night but there has been a period of vandalism on some of the roads people use to walk out of town centres at night.

"It is something we are working very hard on because it is distressing people. They shouldn't have to suffer just because others go mad when drunk."

Virtually every town in East Lancashire has a street-drinking ban and it appears that as a wider variety of facilities become available in Blackburn's night-time economy -- as in Burnley -- more people will come back, as long as they feel safe.

Police and council officers continue to work on that, and insist the reality is a Blackburn much less violent than the perception.