DARWEN police today said the future of the town was bright after a 17.5 per cent drop in crime over the past year.

The positive message from Inspector Andrea Bradbury came just days after it was revealed that the town had one of the fastest rising rates in the value of property in Britain.

Halifax bosses released the figures, calculated by the mortgages it offers, which showed the average home in Darwen had risen in value by 24 per cent over the past year, to £125,199.

Insp Bradbury said she felt the future for Darwen was "very pleasing", despite the recent launch of a tongue-in-cheek website which referred to Darwen as a "hell hole" and its residents as "yobs".

Crime is decreasing year on year and since 2003 burglaries have almost halved.

Since 2001, vehicle crime has dropped by a massive 45 per cent, from 710 offences to 394, and since 2003 burglaries in dwellings have dropped by 45 per cent from 382 to 210.

During the past year violent crime, which includes public disorder, has dropped by 23 per cent from 843 crimes between April 2004 and March 2005 to 648 between April 2005 and March 2006.

In the same period, vehicle crime has dropped 16 per cent from 469 to 394 and criminal damage offences have decreased 20 per cent from 1,131 to 906.

Insp Bradbury said: "We are delighted with these figures.

"They are as a consequence of a lot of partnership work and support from local councillors, housing associations, neighbourhood co-ordination and community groups like the Friends of Sunnyhurst Woods and Whitehall Park, as well as the Bar U campaign and town centre partnership.

"The picture for Darwen is very pleasing and we are looking forward to the future.

"Darwen is a town that has had problems in the past but these figures indicate that things are being very much improved in terms of crime."