CRIME rates across Lancashire are continuing to fall.

The Home Office figures for the first quarter of the year show police are continuing to make huge strides in the fight against crime.

The news comes at the same time as offences in some forces across the UK have soared. Lancashire now has one of best recent records in England and Wales.

The figures published are for April, May and June 2000 and during that time, overall rates fell by 4.6 per cent, which easily betters the 3.5 per cent target set by Chief Constable Pauline Clare.

Police have been particularly successful in tackling domestic burglaries, which have fallen by 22.2 per cent over the period.

Vehicle crime also plummeted by almost 22 percent over the last quarter while the number of public order incidents fell by 13.5 per cent.

The two police divisions covering East Lancashire are still the busiest in the county.

Crime in Burnley and Pendle is on the decrease but in Blackburn, Hyndburn and Darwen it went up by almost three per cent.

Violent crime in the area rose by 12.3 per cent in the first quarter of the year with 594 offences committed.

The figures will be discussed when Lancashire Police Authority's policing committee meets on Tuesday.