Anti-social behaviour figures in Wyre have risen

There were a total of 3,044 anti-social behaviour incidents across the borough during 2019, with 290 more cases than the year before.

Of these incidents, 30 per cent were youth-related.

The increase in Wyre parallels a rise in this kind of offending across Lancashire, with the majority of these being nuisance behaviour incidents, followed by personal and environmental cases,

But the latest Annual Community Safety Report, to be discussed by Wyre’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Monday next week, says the work of Wyre’s Anti Social Behaviour group is now helping to tackle the issues.

The figures are part of a wider-ranging investigation into crime in the Community Safety Report, which also collates data on domestic violence, hate crime and the impact of alcohol on crime.

There were 7,569 reported incidents in total, of which almost half - 3058 cases - were violent crimes, while domestic violence, with 1109 incidents recorded, made up 15 per cent of all crimes, Some seven per cent of cases were alcohol-related, while less than one per cent were hate crimes.

The report states that the multi-agency Anti-Social Behaviour group has now been split into two, to tackle the very different issues of adult incidents and youth nuisance.

The report notes: “A significant number of the adult related anti-social behaviour recorded, is related to inter neighbour disputes.

“These cases are extremely difficult to resolve, and it is not always clear who is the perpetrator and who is the victim.

“With regard to youth ASB the group is, in the main, there to assist the police in managing specific individuals engaged in low level ASB.”