CRIMINALS who give the impression that they are Burnley's hardmen cry like babies when they are locked on their own in a police cell, a local force boss has revealed.

Supt Mike Griffin promised to give the anti-social element in the town a harder time than they give their victims after identifying the 37 criminals in Burnley and Padiham who are responsible for a third of all crime.

He told residents on the Stoops and Hargher Clough estates: "The majority of them are cowards and hide behind groups of people.

"When they are isolated and in the cells you see them crying and wanting their mums and dads. It is a pity we cannot video it and show it at these Forums but I don't think we have come to that yet.''

Supt Griffin was speaking at a meeting of the Burnley Police and Community Forum at the Stoops and Hargher Clough Community Centre.

He warned Burnley's most active criminals: "We are watching your every move.''

As part of a targeting policy, 29 persistent criminals in Burnley have been involved in 44 arrests in the last nine months.

"If they are not taken out of circulation there will be many more victims,'' said Supt Griffin. Police set up high visibility plans to try to cause them problems. He said: "It is all within the law. We sit outside their doors looking at where they go. We may visit their friends' houses so that we know their whereabouts.''

So far there have been 36 action plans against those 29 individuals.

"We are trying to reduce crime by letting these people know they are under surveillance,'' said Supt Griffin.

Not all the targeting plans lead to arrests. One house was identified as being used in connection with drugs dealing and being the focus of other anti-social activities.

Supt Griffin said: "The action plan didn't result in arrests but removed the problem because of the pressure brought to bear.

"The occupier found it too hot to handle and he moved away.''

The Dordrecht scheme, developed in Holland, involving police and probation services is also targeted at getting persistent offenders away from crime and into work.

Crime prevention officer PC Dave Sykes reported that work on installing 12 CCTV cameras in the south-west area of Burnley would begin next week further helping to reduce crime.

Progress made in the area through multi-agency partnerships in the past three years had been remarkable with an overall drop in crime of 21 per cent.

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