CRIME rates in Lancashire have risen by two per cent in the past year, with a sharp rise in violent crimes such as robbery and rape.

In the 12 months up to June, 5,251 violent crimes were recorded - an increase of 23 per cent on the previous year.

The latest figures published by the Home Office revealed 126,538 crimes recorded overall, an increase of 3,346.

Lancashire's Chief Constable Pauline Clare said: "Although the recorded crime in Lancashire has risen slightly more than the national increase, it is noteworthy that the county records 90 offences per 1,000 of the population, considerably lower than the national figure of 101.

"It's also encouraging to see that the local detection rate has risen from 33 per cent to 35 per cent, which means that more than 2,700 more crimes were cleared up than last year."

She explained that despite increases in the most serious crime categories, violent crime in Lancashire is still among the lowest in the country, with four incidents per 1,000 population.

The increase in recorded sexual offences has been explained by the fact that people are now more ready to report these crimes and they are being dealt with in a more caring and sympathetic manner by specialist officers.

Discussing non-violent crimes, Mrs Clare said: "It is good to see a small decrease in the number of recorded domestic burglaries which reflects well on our commitment to neighbourhood watch schemes."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.