DRUNKEN thugs are being blamed for a worrying rise in violent crime in Blackburn this summer.

In the period from April to August there were 308 muggings, beatings, serious sex offences and other incidents in the town, a rise of 16 per cent on the same five months last year.

The trend has led to renewed police calls for a doorman registration scheme for pubs and clubs to help control drunks and prevent incidents getting out of hand.

Almost two thirds of violent offences are detected by police, but Supt Eddie Walsh, head of Blackburn Division, has admitted that violent crime is a cause for concern, with Blackburn creating more problems than Darwen.

He said: "There is no doubt that the commission of such offences is frequently linked to the consumption of alcohol and we remain committed to the establishment of a door registration scheme, which I understand the council is to have another look at. "The training and advice this would provide would give us some assistance in trying to counter the criminal behaviour of violent people."

Doorman registration schemes which already operate in other areas help doormen recognise the warning signs before people turn violent.

Doormen are vetted before they are given a licence.

A review of policing in Blackburn, which was due to be presented to a meeting of the local police and community forum today, has revealed that the number of household burglaries fell by seven per cent between April and July, compared to the same period last year.

Burglaries at commercial premises fell by 18 per cent and detections rose by more than 20 per cent.

And the review highlights the success of the division's policing plan, which has targeted high visibility policing, anti-drugs partnerships, road safety, public nuisance and community involvement.

The number of crimes committed in the three-month period rose by four per cent to 4,988, largely due to vehicle crime and detections were slightly down.

But police have said figures need to be analysed over a longer period before meaningful comparisons could be made.

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