POLICE are being urged to concentrate on a recent increase in crime.

The demand comes from Councillor Ken Walker, chairman of the Cleveland Police Authority, who was concerned at a 6.9 per cent rise in crime last month and a 1.8 per cent fall in the detection rate.

He said yesterday: "As an authority, we have been consistent in recognising that the key to giving local people greater confidence and reducing the fear of crime is by putting more resources into front-line policing.

"But both we and the public want to see those increased resources showing real results."

Referring to a £7.3m deficit in the Cleveland Police budget, Coun Walker said: "We have made clear over the recent issues involving the force's financial position that we expect high standards and that people must be held accountable for their actions.

"The same has to apply in delivering results in the fight against crime."

But Cleveland Police said a change in Home Office counting methods was responsible for rising crime statistics.

Assistant Chief Constable Adam Briggs said: "We are determined to keep up the pressure and hope by the end of the year to have recorded an overall fall in crime despite the counting rule changes which have resulted in fluctuations in the statistics.

"In Cleveland, it has seen crimes of violence rocket by almost 50 per cent and criminal damage jump by 15 per cent."

Meanwhile, house break-ins across the force area have dropped by more than ten per cent, vehicle crime by 2.6 per cent and robberies by 12 per cent, but recorded crime rose by just under seven per cent last month.

Coun Walker said it was good news that house burglary, robbery and car crime were continuing to come down.

"However, I do believe that nobody can be happy that the overall crime figure has now been rising for several months which is why I will be holding urgent and frank discussions with the chief constable and his senior management team to look at reasons for this trend and what must done to reverse it," he said