A HIGH ranking police officer says his officers are winning the fight against crime in Blackburn.

Latest crime rates for town have shown dramatic falls in burglaries, public disorder and violent crime.

Superintendent Eddie Walsh, who is in charge of policing Blackburn, Darwen, Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley, revealed the latest figures at a police and community forum meeting at Blackburn town hall.

Although overall crime rates have risen slightly over the last 12 months, the increase is being linked to changes in Home Office guidelines on the way figures are collected.

Minor assaults and thefts from cars have been included in the figures for the first time.

The most dramatic improvement has seen an 11.8 per cent reduction in the number of violent offences in Blackburn over the last year.

Domestic burglaries fell by just under nine per cent over the year and a staggering 40 per over the last three years.

Public disorder and anti-social incidents fell by 11 per cent according to the statistics.

Superintendent Walsh said: "In the main the figures are very encouraging particularly for the Blackburn area.

"But because of changes in the way the figures are collected it is difficult to make year-on-year comparisons.

"We will be able to get a far more accurate figure this time next year when the changes have been in place for some time."

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