COMMUNITY safety experts have launched a three year action plan to reduce crime.

Wigan Council's Community Safety team has produced a plan after extensive consultation outlining police and local authority crime and disorder priorities and reduction targets, which must be achieved by 2005.

Among its aims are to cut domestic burglary by a quarter, vehicle crime by 30 per cent and reduce anti-social behaviour, domestic violence, drugs and alcohol abuse plus improve town centre and transport safety and security.

Lead officer on community safety, Wigan's Land and Property Director Harry Holden, said: "The Community Safety Strategy 2002 - 2005 will form the foundation for all work around crime reduction and, as such, is the most important document produced by the Wigan and Leigh Community Safety Partnership."

Council cabinet member for community safety Cllr Keith Cunliffe said: "The plan contains ambitious targets, but if we can achieve them we can rightly claim to have made a real difference to the quality of life for residents."

"Although there is a substantial gap between people's perceptions of crime and the actual levels, we will nevertheless be as vigorous, imaginative and resolute as we can be in our approach. We must improve the way we deliver services to victims and offenders alike, to reduce both the volume of crime and the number of victims, and to prevent re-offending."

Cllr Cunliffe added: "One of our aims is to see more members of the public taking a more active involvement in community safety. After all, the borough is only as safe as we all make it."

Chief Superintendent Peter Owen of Greater Manchester Police said: "The strategy is a plan of action. What we need to do now is to put into action for the good of everybody in the borough."