VIOLENT crime in Lancashire has gone up by more than 10 per cent – but overall there were 4,849 fewer victims of crime last year, new figures show.

Police said the statistics, for the year ending March, show that crime was now at ‘unprecedented low levels’.

But in the category of serious violent crime, there were 124 more incidents, up to 1,323.

Chief Constable Steve Finnigan said the reasons for the rise were unclear, but they were determined to tackle the issue.

He said: “These figures clearly demonstrate that, even in these challenging times, our commitment to providing a first-class serv-ice to the communities of Lancashire is unwavering.

“Crime figures for Lancashire were already low, so to continue with this trend highlights the dedication of our officers and staff to keeping the county safe.

“And our increasing detection rates show our determination to bring criminals to justice.”

The force has to make £42million of savings over the next four years after its budget was cut, meaning hundreds of officers and staff are set to lose their jobs.

Mr Finnigan said: “Reducing crime even further over the coming year will be a challenge, particularly as the impact of the cuts starts to bite, but this will remain our focus.

“We recognise there are some areas where we can improve, for example around violent crime, and we will work with our partners to reduce these figures and ensure victims get the help and support that they need.”

In Eastern division, covering Blackburn, Darwen, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley, all crime was down 3.2per cent to 18,846 incidents.

In Pennine division, covering Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale, all crime was down 6.5per cent to 18,127 incidents.