A POLICE operation launched this week will target persistent offenders in Accrington in an attempt to drive down crime figures.

Police have promised to visit regular offenders in the campaign, code named Operation Effect.

Extra uniform and CID officers, as well as dog handling patrols, have been brought in to support the operation, which began this week.

A recent meeting of Hyndburn's Police and Community Forum heard car crime in the borough went down by 2.3 per cent between April 1998 and April 1999.

During the same period, house burglaries were reduced by 9.7 per cent and other burglaries went down by 15.7 per cent.

Commander of Eastern division, Chief Superintendent Eddie Walsh, told the meeting an overall rise in offences of 8.5 per cent in Hyndburn could not be compared to the previous year's figure, as Home Office crime counting rules had changed.

Inspector Peter Zsigmond, of Accrington Police, said: "This is a high profile operation to target the main offenders in the town, and they can all expect to be visited by officers.

"We are looking at areas of the town where crime is being committed by certain individuals.

"We have had some very good results during the last 12 months and we want to maintain those.

"Our basic target is to maintain that level of crime reduction and our target for this year is six per cent across the board.

"There are only 30 to 40 offences a day in Accrington, which for a town this size is phenomenal."

Mr Zsigmond revealed that a crackdown on car crime would also included in the campaign.

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