POLICE in Darlington are hailing the success of initiatives to tackle crime after figures showed a 16 per cent overall reduction in the past year.

Community Safety Sergeant Paul Robinson said: "It's been a really dramatic turnaround, which we think is the result of new operations and initiatives to beat crime eventually starting to kick in and have an effect."

The figures were announced alongside a report into levels of crime, disorder and misuse of drugs in Darlington.

The report carries the results of a three-year survey of crime in the town, which will be completed this summer.

The report, which was presented to members of Darlington Community Safety Partnership board, did have some ominous news, however, with anti-social behaviour expected to double from 2004 to 2005.

But household burglary looks set to drop by about 35 per cent in the same period, from 716 crimes to 464.

Vehicle crime in the town is expected to be cut nearly in half, with the baseline of 2,343 crimes set to fall to 1,278.

The report, by Chief Superintendent Michael Banks, was carried out to make authorities aware of the nature of crime problems in the borough and help them devise ways of tackling them.

As part of the report, a public consultation took place to find out what residents considered the main issues surrounding crime in the town.

Since the audit began in 2001, residents reported that anti-social behaviour continued to be their number one anxiety.

The second biggest area of concern was house burglary, while litter and graffiti were reported as the third most serious grievance by residents, compared with vehicle crime in 2001.

These latest figures come after the Government set targets of reducing crime nationally by 15 per cent by 2007-2008.