POLICE patrols were stepped up in Darwen over the Christmas period to protect people making cash deliveries in the town.

In a bid to prevent thieves taking advantage of the increased amount of money changing hands, Darwen police put more high-visibility officers in the centre.

Officers also visited businesses such as post offices and banks to give them crime prevention advice.

Inspector Andrea Bradbury, of Darwen Police, said: "We changed shift patterns during the Christmas period so that we had additional cover in the town centre.

"And officers monitored the places we deemed as more vulnerable at this time of year.

"These were places where large sums of money would be being delivered or picked up from such as the post office and the town centre banks.

"We monitored CCTV, gave out crime prevention advice and there was an obvious police presence in the town centre."