CRIME in Lancashire has tumbled by 20 per cent, according to new figures from the Home Office.

The latest league table of Britain's police forces reveals that Lancashire Police have managed to slash the county's crime by a fifth since 1993/4, compared with a national average of 19 per cent.

Despite welcoming the figures as good news, the county's top cop, Chief Constable Pauline Clare said they wouldn't be complacent.

She said: "Reducing crime is one of our top priorities.

"Every year we set challenging targets locally.

"I am pleased to note our national position over the last five years, but our attention is very much on the present.

"This year we are aiming to reduce crime by six per cent across the county and the good news is that we are on track to achieve that. Our reduction for the year is currently running at more than eight per cent." Mrs Clare added that, 'considering the circumstances,' the 20 per cent reduction listed in the Home Office report was a 'considerable achievement.'

She explained: "We have had to cope with a lot of changes over the past five years.

"Internally we have restructured and adopted a new problem-solving policing philosophy and have really only begun to settle into our new way of working over the past 18 months.

"We are determined to maintain this momentum against crimes, but the difficulties of achieving further year-on-year reductions cannot be underestimated.

"The reduction we have achieved already reflect a lot of hard work on the part of officers, support staff and partners in other agencies and this needs to continue."

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