VIOLENT crime and assaults in Lancashire have soared over the last year, according to official statistics.

The annual report published by Chief Constable Pauline Clare shows violent attacks rose from just over 3,700 in 1997-98 to 10,145 in 1998-99.

Home Office changes in the way the crimes are reported accounts for part of the increase but the massive rise is still a major cause for concern.

Burglaries fell but despite the decrease only one fifth of the 24,000 break-ins were solved by the police.

Most other areas have seen small falls in the crime rates and there were 3,000 fewer offences committed in the county last year if previous counting methods are used.

The statistics were discussed at a police authority meeting along with the annual report.

Mrs Clare's report also outlines a number of major changes to the way Lancashire's police operate.

She said: "The year ahead will be just as demanding with the force setting itself a challenging target to reduce crime by six per cent, anti-social behaviour by five per cent and road casualties by five per cent. "It has been another demanding year for all members of Lancashire Constabulary and the initiatives outlined in the report need to be seen against a background of several significant changes during the year which have had a major impact on out work."

The changes have included a shift in policing policies and the impact of the findings of the Stephen Lawrence case and the subsequent Macpherson inquiry.

The statistics in the report have also revealed there were 879 sex crimes in Lancashire which led to 682 arrests.

The number of burglaries in the county topped 24,220 but only 5,609 of the break-ins were detected by the police.

Arson and criminal damage was one of the the few areas to see a sharp rise from the previous year. The number of arson attacks almost doubled to 830 while the number of vandalism incident reached 20,500.

The amount of arrests for dealing in drugs was up slightly from 525 to 594.

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