'Ring of steel' to combat raiders targeting Colne (From Lancashire Telegraph)

'Ring of steel' to combat raiders targeting Colne

6:45pm Friday 5th February 2010

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By Peter Magill »

A “RING of steel” is being thrown around Colne as part of operations to keep out cross-border raiders.

Officers from Lancashire have teamed up with collea-gues in West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire to deter travelling criminals, as part of Operation Vault, which began in December.

Four known criminals, who had travelled in a car from Bradford and were suspected of visiting Colne to carry out thefts, were pulled over and sent home this week.

Inspector Jon Fryer said several arrests had also been made, of suspected raiders from Yorkshire, as a result of the joint operation.

Around 20 automatic number plate recognition cameras (ANPR) are being erected around the county, and at least two are being installed on the outskirts of Laneshawbridge, and to the west of Colne.

Insp Fryer said: “The ANPR cameras will put a ring of steel around Colne.

“We have had a problem in the past with criminals coming to Colne, breaking into houses, and stealing the keys to high-value vehicles.

“We have been working with West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire forces to make several arrests of suspected criminals.

“That operation will cont-inue and we are sending out a message to people in Bradford and West York-shire that we are no soft touch.”

Officers in the Pendle town are celebrating crime reductions of more than 50per cent over the last five years, and are determined to safeguard their record.

Burglaries in January 2005 were recorded at 13 and that had fallen to three by this year.

Vehicle crime had dropped from 52 to 16, a 65per cent reduction, and violent crime had decreased from 44 to 23 offences.

The overall number of crimes in Colne, from 2005 to 2010, had dropped from 295 to 137, a 54per cent decrease.

Councillors have previou-sly written to Chief Cons-table Steve Finnigan to praise the achievements of town police.

Coun Howard Thomas said the borough council could give itself a ‘pat on the back’ for funding extra Police Community Support Officers, which had contri-buted to the improvements.

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