THE number of burglaries in Radcliffe soared last year, despite extra efforts by the police to tackle the problem.

There were 268 break-ins between January 1 and December 31, compared to 200 during the same period in 2009, an increase of 34 per cent.

The figures show that burglary remains an issue in the town despite police operations and several prolific burglars being jailed.

They include Anthony Barrow, who was locked up for two years after targeting 11 houses, and Philip Evans, who was jailed for 14 months after a spate of break-ins across Radcliffe.

Insp Bryn Williams, of Radcliffe neighbourhood policing team (NPT), said: “I am disappointed with the increase in burglaries, but residents can rest assured that we will be working tirelessly to bring down this figure in 2011.

Remember, one-in-three I want to remind the public to secure their property “ INSP BRYN WILLIAMS burglaries is committed as a result of an insecurity so I want to remind the public of the need to secure their property, as dark afternoons and evenings can provide extra cover for criminals seeking out empty homes to target.”

Overall, the number of crimes reported in Radcliffe during 2010 fell by six per cent, from 2,852 to 2,687.

There was a massive reduction in robberies, falling by 49 per cent from 49 to 25.

Vehicle crime was cut by 27 per cent, from 486 in 2009 to 354 in 2010, and antisocial behaviour fell by 25 per cent, from 2,595 to 1,948.

Insp Williams said: “We have managed to drive down crime in most areas throughout 2010, but we are determined to reduce these figures further in 2011.

“We regularly speak to our communities and we aim to tackle the issues that matter to them.

“ If you have a problem, then let us know about it so we can deal with it.”

Radcliffe NPT can be contacted on 0161 856 8291 or email them atRadcliffe.

npt@gmp.police.uk