A CRIME-BUSTING blitz on burglars has reduced break-ins by more than a third in a blackspot area.

And organisers are now extending the scheme into another problem part of Blackburn.

Since its launch in the Infirmary area of Blackburn last March the Homesafe security scheme has introduced a series of measures aimed at thwarting thieves.

And the number of burglaries recorded between the launch date and the end of the year fell by 36.8 per cent to 108, compared to the previous year's total of 171.

The success prompted the scheme to be extended to the smaller Longshaw area of town nearby, prompting the number of break-ins up to the end of the year to fall to 15 from 32 in 1994.

Now Homesafe organisers are moving into the Green Lane area of town in a bid to achieve similar results.

Homesafe is run by the Government-funded Safer Cities project and backed by insurance company Direct Line, with the help of Blackburn council, the police and volunteers from the local community.

Locks and security measures were fitted to hundreds of homes in the Infirmary area, with priority being given to the elderly, single parents and people who have already suffered a burglary. Neighbourhood Watch, a youth crime prevention scheme and the distribution of information packs helped tackle the crooks.

Homesafe co-ordinator Geoff Whitehead said: "The results have been excellent and have shown that with the right kind of approach things can be improved."

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