RECORDED crime has fallen by 10.7 per cent over the past five years in Lancashire covering the Burnley area.

This clear trend of falling crime is the result of firm Conservative policies.

The tough sentences for violent crime, which Conservatives proposed and the Government has just implemented, should help to ensure that the trend is continued.

However, the Government's claim that rising prosperity could lead to rising crime in the future is astonishing.

For years, Labour told us that poverty and unemployment caused crime. Yet now they have inherited a growing economy they've changed their tune.

There are other reasons why people in Burnley should be worried about possible future rises in crime. Measures in the Crime and Disorder Bill will result in more prisoners being let out early.

The Government has also refused to implement the Conservative policy of mandatory minimum sentences for burglars.

Labour's determination to reduce the prison population seems driven by the desire to cut costs and not the aim of protecting people in Burnley from crime.

IDA FOWLER, Ighten Road, Burnley.

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