CRIME victims in Burnley are much more likely to be burgled than beaten up.

Burglary, much of it to raise money for drugs, is Burnley's biggest crime and by some way the highest in Lancashire.

A public meeting on crime and disorder in Burnley was told last night the good news was that by contrast violent crime was less than elsewhere and was going down, compared to increases across the country.

The meeting at Vanguard House, a new community centre on the site of the former Trafalgar flats, was the first step in planning crime prevention work into the next millennium based on a crime audit and a review prepared by Burnley Community Safety Partnership.

The review lists:

Action on burglary and related crime.

Illegal drugs.

Young people who are at an age when they can be drawn into offending but who are most likely to become victims of crime

Domestic violence. Victims of crime.

Crime and harassment committed against ethnic minorities.

The fear of crime especially among those who feel most vulnerable, such as the elderly.

Involving the community in the battle against crime.

Most complaints at the meeting related to problems caused by drugs users and the need to make it easier for people to inform on the small number who committed crime and generally made life intolerable.

Pennine Division police chief, Supt Mike Griffin, agreed that youngsters and the ethnic minorities especially used police stations only tentatively and were not very impressed if they did not get a caring and understanding attitude.

"We are working hard to make user friendly approaches in the communications centre.

"We are trying to get people to report more suspicious activity.''

He spoke of the success of major operations against drugs suppliers. This saw a reduction in crime generally and left street level drug users not having enough money for food, let alone for drugs.

The problem was that drugs supply brought ridiculous and ludicrous riches. As soon as one team was arrested another would move in because it was so lucrative.

He called for the public to continue to feed information to the police about suspected drug dealing.

Other calls from the public included a "show, name and shame'' burglars by publicising their photographs and details in the local Press.

The group will now produce a crime and disorder action plan including targets for cutting down crime.

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