SOME of the posters adorning the walls in Clitheroe police station's waiting room make for uneasy reading.

Beneath an image of a man being soundly kicked by three assailants reads the question: "It might make you want to turn and run...but in which direction?"

Another poster depicting two youngsters about to steal a car asks, "Could you be a killjoy and save two lives?"

Both are adverts appealing for special constables and both paint society at its worst, but do these images of serious crime bear any resemblance to real life in leafy Ribble Valley?

Statistics released by the Ribble Valley Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) last week showed the rural borough has the lowest crime rate in the North West.

In the Home Office's British Crime Survey 2005, the borough finished 366th out of 377 partnership areas in England and Wales, making it the 11th safest borough in the country and the safest in the North West. It finished in the same position in 2000.

But according to Insp Bob Ford, inspector for the Ribble Valley, there is an even better indication of the area's relative safety.

In a Home Office crime figures study drawn up quarterly, the Ribble Valley is lumped together with similar boroughs in terms of average income, their rural nature and other factors.

And, despite being paired with parts of Dorset, Witshire, Devon and Cornwall, the East Lancashire borough finishes second only to South Northamptonshire as having the lowest number of crimes per 1,000 residents -- 10.8 in Ribble Valley's case, recorded between January 1 and March 31.

According to Insp Ford, this like-for-like comparison is a true indication of crime levels.

He said: "All the statistics show that, compared to other areas, the Ribble Valley has relatively low levels of crime.

"But these 'families' of areas grouped together give a real impression of how we are doing compared to similar areas with market towns and large rural spaces.

"However, statistics are one thing and people's perceptions are another. People's perceptions are one of the mysteries of my 30-year police career.

"One of our biggest problems is with travelling criminals coming to the Ribble Valley and raiding golf clubs and isolated farm houses.

"But at public meetings the biggest topic of conversation is usually speeding and how to combat it.

"Anti-social behaviour is another subject that some people latch onto. But, in some places, people need to keep this in perspective."

One such problem, in Whalley, centres on youths' anti-social behaviour on Proctor's Field near the centre of the village.

Elderly residents living nearby say the Ribble Valley's safe reputation isn't always deserved.

Lois Rimmer, 66, who claims youths regularly drink alcohol, smoke cannabis and damage nearby property, said: "Ribble Valley might be one of the safest places, but it's not one of the happiest.

"Things are so bad round here that we pray for torrential rain to keep the kids away from the field.

"Apart from the bad language, these groups are always drinking alcohol, smoking cannabis and I often see them running to meet a car that pulls up selling drugs. I call it the drugs wagon, it's like an ice-cream van selling drugs.

"By the time we've told the police, the car has gone and it's the same with anything they do. The police can't get here quickly enough."

Neighbour Molly Barnes, 77, said: "I know it's not a crime, but I often look out of my window and see teenage lads with their hands up girls' tops.

"The groups of youngsters that gather make me feel unsafe, I don't care what the statistics say."

While there is isolated discontent from victims of crime or anti-social behaviour, the facts paint a picture of the Ribble Valley as a rural idyll -- a perception held by many.

Sam Bruce, 40, from Read, said: "I come from Nottingham which must have one of the worst crime levels. One of the main reasons for moving to the Ribble Valley was for my children to grow up in a safe environment, which I believe they do."

Andrew Howe, 26, of Billington Gardens, Billington, said: "I don't feel threatened or unsafe, but I possibly would if I was a pensioner. There are sometimes groups of 40 or 50 kids hanging round in Whalley and people can be intimidated."

But Maggie Laycock, 46, of Brook Street, Clitheroe, said: "I don't feel safe, in fact, I feel more vulnerable the older I get.

"It's not major crime that bothers me, it's the youngsters hanging round the street."

One factor contributing to a general feeling of safety could be the standard of Ribble Valley's pubs.

Peter Hodgkinson, chairman of the Ribble Valley Licensed Victuallers' Association (LVA) and Pub Watch scheme, said: "I used to run the Dog sports bar in Clitheroe for more than 10 years and that was always very busy.

"But in all that time I only had to call the police three times.

"I think most people, including drinkers and bar staff, feel safe when they're out and about. I'd say the standard of licensees and club stewards has improved over the years which, combined with police vetting and the Pub Watch system, means it's a safe place to go out and have a quiet drink.

"However, you're only ever a mini-riot away from that changing."

The Ribble Valley Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership was launching its crime-busting strategy for the next three years at a special Quality of Life Day in Clitheroe today.

The strategy, compiled following an extensive crime audit last November, sets out how the partnership will tackle the borough's most pressing crime problems, including travelling criminals, substance abuse and fly-tipping.

Bill Alker, Ribble Valley CDRP's co-ordinator, said: "We can say we are one of the safest places in the country and I think that is testament to the work of the police and the CDRP.

"It sends out a strong message about the quality of life here in the Ribble Valley.

Despite low levels of crime however, the police accept that levels can always be lower. Insp Ford explained that every three years, when CDRP strategy's are published, each area has to negotiate targets for the next 36 months.

He said: "We have agreed with the Home Office to cut recorded crime by 13 per cent. When you consider that in 2003/4 we had 1,611 offences, that means we have shave off around 200 of them.

"That's a tall order because it is easier to reduce crime by 13 per cent if there are 5,000 offences every year. To reduce it from an already low number is difficult.

"But we have set up working groups to look at specific areas. For example we are looking at introducing Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) on the A59 to target travelling criminals."