A CHARITY which helps people to cope with the effects of crime visited 36, 000 homes in Lancashire last year.

The Lancashire Victim Support group revealed the figure at its first annual general meeting at the Whitbread Brewery in Salmesbury. The volunteers offered support to more than 8,000 victims of assaults, woundings, robberies, sexual crime, homicide and more than 11,000 households that have been burgled.

Guest speaker at the occasion was His Honour Judge Openshaw QC, Recorder of Preston. He gave a speech about the importance of victims and witnesses in legal proceedings and paid tribute to the staff and volunteers who he described as a "friend in court."

The Lancashire group chairman Brian Turner paid tribute to the hard work of all the members. He said: "We are very grateful for the tremendous support received from volunteers and professional staff, and that the services for victims and witnesses continued to be provided to the highest standards, and with the quality of service which our community had grown to expect and appreciate."

He went on to appeal for more volunteers to get involved. "We are now appealing for people who would be willing to support our fund-raising activities" he said.