LANCASHIRE'S chief constable today admitted to a "worrying" rise in underlying crime levels in the county.

Pauline Clare commented as figures were released showing Lancashire crime up by eight per cent year on year -- the highest increase in the country.

Recorded crime dropped nationally by 2.5 per cent.

Police bosses defended the rise, blaming new methods of recording all crimes which they say give a more accurate picture of the true level of offending.

However they admitted that there was still a real rise in crimes such as burglary, robbery and vehicle crime.

In a report due to be discussed by Lancashire Police Authority today the chief constable revealed there was a 'worrying' trend of an underlying actual rise in crimes being committed.

She said: "The force predicted a rise in the levels of recorded crime which was borne out in practice. Whilst a considerable element of this is undoubtedly due to recording issues there are some worrying signs that the underlying level of actual offending is beginning to rise, and this trend has been monitored during the early part of the current year."

Mrs Clare said police bosses were currently in the planning stages for a further county-wide Operation Reassure in a bid to reverse the upward trend in some types of crime, especially domestic burglary.

Operation Reassure was originally launched in December with extra patrols of officers on the streets. A second phase was launched in April. Police bosses said the new methods of recording crime encouraged people to come forward and report crime and encouraged officers in the positive recording of crime, including offences that may previously have been ignored.

Overall recorded crime in Lancashire rose by 8.1 per cent in the 12 months to March 2001, compared to a drop in the North West of 2.2 per cent.

The biggest rises in the county were in racist crime, which rose by 30 per cent to 1,307 offences for the year and violent crime, up by 19.5 per cent to 11,710 offences.

The rise in racist crime is in line with national trends although violent crime rose by just 2.1 per cent in the North West.

The number of total recorded crimes in Lancashire rose from 108,866 to 117,633. The total number of crimes in the North West was 720,055.

Other figures for Lancashire were a rise of 15.7 per cent in robberies, compared to 9.4 per cent for the North West; a 0.8 per cent increase in burglaries, compared to a four per cent reduction in the region and a 2.2 per cent fall in thefts of and from vehicles, compared to a 7.2 per cent drop in the North West.

Lancashire's detection rate of 27 per cent for all cxrime was slightly above the national average.

The other forces included in the regional figures were Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester and Merseyside.

The other forces showing an increase were Nottinghamshire 2.2 percent; Staffordshire 5.9 per cent; Suffolf 2.2 per cent; City of London 6.2 per cent; Kent 2.8 per cent; Sussex 0.3 per cent; Avon and Somerset 1.5 per cent and North Wales 7 per cent.

Lancashire is one of only five forces in the country, and the only one in the North West, to have piloted the new positive methods of recording crime in a bid to build up a more accurate picture of the levels of offending. The methods were introduced in April following a Government report which criticised police forces across the country for failing accurately reflect levels of crime.

Ministers are keen for police crime figures to reflect the British Crime Survey, which is generally regarded as the most accurate picture of crime in the country. The BCS records crime experienced by the public rather than that reported to the police.

Lancashire's Deputy Chief Constable Paul Stephenson said: "These figures are largely as we predicted following the changes we made to our recording methods. This is more to do with the accuracy of recording than any real increases in the level of crime. We chose to adopt the new practices at a very early stage and because of our positive appraoch we are one of the first forces to see the impact on our recorded crime statistics.

"It is vitally important that our statistics reflect the true picture of what is happening in order that we, and our partners, can direct resources to the areas crime is occurring." All chief constables in England and Wales have now signed up to the recording methods piloted in Lancashire.

Police bosses in Lancashire have said the change will mean continued increases in crime figures for the next few months.

Ribble Valley Tory MP Nigel Evans said: "This is very disturbing. They can't blame this increase on statistical formulations. Everybody knows that crime, particularly violent crime, is rising in Lancashire.

"We urgently need more police officers on the beat to combat this problem all over Lancashire."

"I shall be contacting the Chief Constable and the Home Office to ask for extra resources and extra police officers for the county. We need action now."

Rossendale and Darwen Labour MP Janet Anderson said: "I am always concerned when there is an increase in crime, particularly when it affects my constituents. I am sure that Chief Constable Pauline Clare and her officers will be doing everything they can under the new recording system to bring down the crime figures and make our streets safer."