A REFORMED heroin addict walked into his MP's surgery and confessed: "I've committed 2,000 burglaries - and never been caught."

The Darwen man, who is in his late 20s, confessed to carrying out three or four burglaries a week for ten years to feed his drug addiction.

But when Shadow Home Secretary and Blackburn MP Jack Straw asked him about his record of convictions he said: "I'm of previous good character - I've never been caught."

Mr Straw highlighted the case to show the need for the successful anti-crime partnerships and schemes to turn young people away from drugs, which already operate in Blackburn, to continue.

He said the man, from a respectable family, had become so hooked on drugs that his friends wouldn't let him sleep in their homes because they feared he would steal something. He had to resort to sleeping on the streets before kicking the habit and contacting his MP to urge tougher action to turn youngsters away from crime.

Mr Straw, addressing an anti-crime conference organised by Blackburn Safer Cities in the town's King George's Hall, said he was horrified by survey results which showed three-quarters of Blackburn people have been the victims of crime in the last five years.

He called for radical changes in the youth justice system to stop offenders believing they could get away with things.

But he paid tribute to the work of anti-crime partnerships in Blackburn and praised Safer Cities for its work in reducing crime.

Mr Straw said: "The majority of burglaries in this area and others are committed by drug addicts and this case highlights the need for the good work which has been done to tackle crime to continue.

"The Safer Cities project shows just what can be done locally when we all pull together."

The Government-funded Safer Cities project is two years through a three year programme of investment in the area.

The conference was organised to highlight the work done so far as well as looking forward to the work which needed to build on its achievements.

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