BLACKPOOL police are winning the battle against holiday crime with Operation Arrival.

The operation, launched at Easter to cut crime in Blackpool and Lytham St Annes at peak tourism periods, swung into action for a third time last weekend with the Spring Bank Holiday.

And for a third time reported crime was down on the same weekend last year - and arrests were up.

From Thursday (May 27) to Monday (May 31) 110 arrests were made for a wide range of offences including public disorder, theft, drink-driving, drug-possession, minor assaults and evading warrants. A gang of five youths were caught stealing from a coach on the main coach park on Monday after being watched by an undercover unit.

PC Steve Hodgkins commented: "Crime figures are markedly lower than at the same time last year - Operation Arrival is being successful in making the area safer for visitors and residents alike."

Sixty officers are on Operation Arrival duty each day, concentrating on crime hotspots such as pubs and clubs, especially during the evening, or shopping centres during the day.

With voluntary help they patrol car parks, leaflet arriving visitors to guard against car crime and noting the numbers of any vehicles unlocked or with valuables clearly visible.

They then write to the owners warning them to be more careful. The operation also targets persistent criminals to keep them off the streets at holiday periods.

The police launched Operation Arrival after identifying bank holidays and a six-week peak holiday period when crime traditionally went up - boosting Blackpool town centre crime rates to seven times the national average.

Their aim is to cut crime on the coast by 25 per cent over the next three years.

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