REGARDING the level of crime in Sudell Ward, Darwen, Councillor Dave Smith (Letters, October 29) seems to think we are fortunate we are to live in this area because crime has gone down due to police and council input.

I took the opportunity of clipping reports from the Lancashire Evening Telegraph over the following four days of crimes committed in my area.

These included two children's bikes being stolen, a firm being burgled, a hooligan throwing concrete at a house, thieves in a car stealing a work box, Sudellside, again on the same day a car vandalised, a jacket stolen from a car, glass being removed from a flat window and another flat being burgled.

This spate of crimes culminated with an old lady having her bag containing £900 stolen (LET, November 2).

Clearly, if the figures that Coun Smith used are from the previous year, the trend this year is not going to be very good, is it?

I am sure that if there was a true crime reduction and people felt safe when going out at night, I and others would thank all concerned, as Coun Smith suggests.

ROY DAVIES, Olive Lane, Darwen.