Drunken brawlers targeted by police

Figures show criminal damage and assaults are significantly higher in the town centre than in previous years.

The number of violent attacks has increased from 65 last year to 126 from January to August this year.

In a report to the Darlington Town Centre Forum tomorrow, Chief Superintendent Michael Banks stresses that the increase could partly be the result of changes in the way crimes are recorded.

But he is conducting research focusing on a possible link between cheap drinks and increased violent crime.

He said: "The is an issue which is clearly beyond the police alone and requires scrutiny by licensing committees in due course."

Despite the rise in violent crime in the town centre, there have been significant reductions in other kinds of crime in the Darlington police area.

Thefts from shops and cars are significantly down on previous years.

The statistics show that thefts from cars have fallen from 55 last year to 32 in the period from January to August this year.

Thefts of vehicles, meanwhile, have fallen dramatically, from 54 last year to just five so far this year.

This fall has previously been attributed to the number of closed-circuit television cameras in the town's car parks.

The cameras, which provide 24-hour security coverage in the town centre, have led to a reduction in car crime for eight years in succession.

Chief Supt Banks has estimated that by the end of the year there will have been about 1,140 crimes recorded in the town centre.

He said: "This would be a rise of 260 from last year, many of which are due to the new crime recording standards. This equates to four reported crimes per day in the town centre.

"Although the town centre experiences higher levels of crime and disorder than the rest of the borough, much of this is situational and directly relates to the high concentration of business and commercial activity, together with the population and vehicle influx.