DRAMATIC falls in crime levels in Hyndburn show the borough is winning the battle to beat the criminals, according to police chiefs.

New figures reveal the borough has had some of the biggest falls in the county as crime was slashed over the last year.

And Great Harwood is leading the way in the crusade to tackle crime after a 27 per cent drop was reported.

Police put the sharp fall down to targeting known criminals and a pilot scheme to hit crime at the source.

However, the figures do show sharp increases - 35 per cent in Rishton - in the levels of juvenile nuisance in certain areas of the borough.

Superintendent Wendy Walker said the falls mirror the trend for the rest of the eastern division which also includes Blackburn, Darwen and Ribble Valley.

The superintendent, who is operations manager for the eastern division, said: "Crime came down by 11.5 per cent in the eastern division. In my 17 years in the police I have never seen a reduction in crime the way it is in the eastern division at the moment.

"We are definitely winning in the battle to tackle crime. In Hyndburn and throughout the division the crime reductions are the best in the county."

The figures revealed at a meeting of Hyndburn police and community forum show crime decreased in Accrington in the following areas:

burglary in dwellings down by 28 per cent;

burglary in non-dwellings down by 12 per cent;

theft from motor vehicles down by 27 per cent;

stealing of motor vehicles down by 14 per cent.

Inspector Stephen Lee, of Accrington police, said: "These figures coincide with the fact that we have been targeting known offenders who are thought to be responsible for the bulk of crime. Many of these offenders are now serving prison sentences." He added that the Problem Orientated Policing initiative had also played a big part in the fall since the pilot scheme was introduced in Accrington last year. The scheme works by targeting the root causes of crime rather than officers responding to a problem time after time.

The steep fall in Great Harwood was attributed to good policing and getting the community to take a stand against crime.

Inspector John Pennington of Great Harwood police said: "The figures are excellent and the biggest fall in the town was a 48 per cent drop in burglaries.

"A lot is down to people standing up and being counted, such as acting as witnesses. It is courageous on their part."

However, he said action would need to be taken to combat rising juvenile nuisance levels.

"It affects people's quality of life. If we want to reassure them and make them feel safe we have to address it."

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