Burnley town centre to see an extra bobby on the beat following break-ins at William's Lounge Bar, Electric Circus and Bar Mojitos

An additional police community support officer (PCSO) will patrol the area from Monday.

It follows a string of break-ins at town centre bars in the past few months, with several business owners fearing thieves are becoming bolder due to a lack of deterrents.

What have the police said about the break-ins?

A Lancashire Police spokesperson said: "We have received reports of burglaries in Burnley town centre and have made enquiries.

"Our officers have investigated, including making forensic and CCTV enquiries, and should anyone have any information that could assist our enquiries, we would ask them to come forward.

"We take reports of burglary very seriously and have increased targeted patrols in the area when concerns have been reported.

"You can make a report by calling 101 or on our website. In an emergency, call 999."

How many crimes have occurred in Burnley town centre in the past year?

There were nearly 1,839 reports of crimes in the 12 months from December 2022 to November 2023, according to police data.

Thugs targeted William's Lounge Bar in Yorke Street twice in six weeks, including right before Mad Friday. They also raided the Electric Circus in Bank Parade on New Year's Day - the fourth time in less than a year. And Bar Mojitos in Ormerod Street suffered three break-ins from October to December, including on Christmas Day.

What have town centre bar owners said about the issue?

Keira Crossley, co-owner of William's Lounge Bar, believes thieves are “100% getting bolder” due to a lack of deterrent, while the man behind Electric Circus, who does not want to be named, thinks harsher punishments could help prevent further break-ins.

How are the police increasing their visibility?

The additional PCSO is part of a county-wide mission to increase police visibility in crime hotspots. Lancashire's Police and Crime Commissioner says the county has benefitted from hundreds more officers over the past year. Andrew Snowden has vowed to increase visibility further with his 2024/25 budget proposals at a meeting of the Police and Crime Panel on Wednesday.

"Investment into local teams across Burnley through the Target Operating Model, rolled out last year, is seeing more officers spend more time on the local beat, as the 612 additional officers recruited through the uplift programme and local funding become increasingly operationally independent.

"The number of officers based in any area and policing division is constantly reviewed by the Constabulary to meet demand. There is a dedicated town centre plan for policing in Burnley town centre and addressing the concerns of the overwhelming majority of law-abiding members of the public who just want to get on.

"The policing of Burnley is also far broader than just the neighbourhood teams based there, including response units, taskforces proactively targeting offenders, roads policing, specialist operations, the ASB and Problem Solving Command, and mounted branch where required.

"Op Warrior and Op Centurion have also seen a renewed, aggressive focus on taking the fight to organised crime and anti-social behaviour in every part of the county.

"I am committed to giving the Chief Constable the resources that he needs to protect the public and keep people safe."