A PARTNERSHIP has helped achieve a 25 per cent drop in one area's overall crime in the past three years, the latest figures reveal.

When the District of Easington Community Safety Partnership was set up in 1998, the area was a crime blackspot, with one of Britain's worst burglary records.

Following a Government directive, local agencies such as the police, Easington District Council, the youth offending team, Victim Support and Easington Substance Misuse Initiative got together to form a joint strategy for combating crime.

Now the first audit since the partnership began has confirmed its success, with overall crime down by 25 per cent and 43 per cent fewer house burglaries.

Steve Arkley, head of community safety for the council and the partnership's acting chairman, welcomed the results.

"The partnership has made huge progress in tackling crime over the last few years," he said.

"A 25 per cent reduction means over 2,000 fewer victims of crime.

"The crime and disorder audit provides us with the most detailed breakdown of crime in the district that we have ever had, and gives the partnership a clear lead on what public priorities are for the future."

To tackle crime, the partnership has made homes and other vulnerable places more secure. This has been achieved by installing window locks, stronger doors and closed-circuit television.

It has also targeted persistent offenders through police operations, offered more support to victims and raised people's safety awareness.

The partnership has also carried out community development work, including setting up the midnight basketball scheme for youngsters, which was recently visited by Tony Blair.

Despite its successes, Mr Arkley admitted it still had a long way to go, with crime rates still high and increases in complaints of anti-social behaviour and fear.

"We need to target burglary, anti-social behaviour, substance misuse and people's perceptions, and will publish a strategy that takes us up to 2005, in April," he said.

"We are going to start with a media campaign.

"The message is that the chances of being a victim of crime are significantly lower than three years ago."

l Easington MP John Cummings will open the partnership's new base at Lee House, Peterlee, on Monday