POLICE across East Lancashire today called on motorists top help them crack car crime.

New figures show vehicle crime has soared in the first half of the year, prompting police to go on the offensive.

But officers believe they can tackle opportunist crooks stealing from vehicles by getting drivers to stop leaving goods on display in their cars.

Police in Blackburn are currently hunting a number of suspected thieves who they believe are behind the rises in Blackburn. And in Burnley and Pendle police bosses are about to launch a new crackdown on vehicle crime.

But across the whole of East Lancashire drivers are being urged not to make life easy for criminals by leaving items on view.

In Blackburn, police say crime hotspot areas are Morrisons supermarket car park, town centre streets, and residential roads in Pleasington and Witton.

The police have a specific team to tackle vehicle crime because it is a government priority. Last year they helped reduce car crime in Blackburn by 21 per cent from 2002.

But for the past few months it has risen from 117 crimes in the January to a high of 162 in April.

PC John Scott said motorists had possibly become complacent because of the well-publicised reductions.

He added: "It can all be avoided. People should remove valuables from the car and keep them out of view.

"This means sunglasses, mobile phones, handbags - we have even had laptops stolen.

"Car crime will never go away. It is an easy crime to commit because it is so quick but hard to detect."

Police in Pennine Division, covering Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale are getting ready to launch Operation Freedom on Monday to combat car crime.

Superintendent Steve Hartley said: "A lot of work is being done to tackle vehicle crime in Pennine Division.

"Extra officers have been drafted in to target suspected offenders and rat-trap cars with covert cameras have been deployed to car parks and side streets in key areas in order to catch thieves in the act. All of this is having a positive impact on car crime.

"All I ask now is that the public show us their support by assisting us in this fight against crime. By simply following basic crime prevention advice they can make a big difference to this perennial problem."

Crime prevention advice will also be available at special roadshows on:

Tuesday, June 8, Tesco, Burnley.

Wednesday, June 9, Winfields at Haslingden

Friday, June 11, Asda, Colne.

Hyndburn has already witnessed a crackdown in recent weeks after town centre car crimes soared. Warning posters were put up on car parks and more officers were put out on the streets to catch the crooks. Officers also visited suspected thieves to warn them against committing more crimes.