POLICE say nine active criminals were arrested as a major crackdown on offenders in Blackburn got under way yesterday.

And they also say the high profile Operation Tango led to a dramatic fall in crime across Blackburn.

The operation is set to last several weeks.

Known burglars and drug dealers are being targeted by the police during the crackdown, which is a repeat of a similar operation last year.

Detective Inspector Tim Jacques of Blackburn CID said: "We were very pleased with the results of the first day of the operation.

"We wanted to get clear message to criminals in Blackburn that burglaries and thefts will not be tolerated."

Daily updates on the operation will be posted on the internet and a special phoneline has been set up for Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinators to pass along information to the police.

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