TOWN centre crime was halved in the first month closed-circuit television cameras "policed" the streets of Accrington.

Auto-crime, shoplifting and criminal damage were all slashed.

The "snapshot" figures for the first full month of CCTV operation in Accrington town centre were revealed today by Superintendent Malcolm Rawcliffe.

Supt Rawcliffe said: "The early indications are that CCTV, community safety wardens and other initiatives operating in the town centre have reduced crime by a massive 50 per cent."

A comparison of crime statistics for December 1994 and December 1995 shows a 69 per cent drop in stealing from vehicles and a 75 per cent drop in interfering with vehicles. No cars were reported stolen, compared with four during December 1994.

Shoplifting was down 75 per cent, and criminal damage down 66 per cent.

Supt Rawcliffe added that there was no evidence of crime being displaced from the town centre to neighbouring communites within the division.

"There is no evidence that town centre crime has been pushed out elsewhere," he said.

There was a slight increase in the December figures for violent crime but Supt Rawcliffe said the cameras were witnessing some incidents which might otherwise go unreported.

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