CRIME was beaten back during the festive season in Morecambe, according to new figures.

There was a dramatic' reduction in crime thanks to Operation Snowball, says community beat manager PC Neil Pigott.

The pperation aimed to reduce shop theft, burglary, auto crime and violent crime.

Says PC Pigott: "This year we were looking to build upon the success of last Christmas and the key was everybody working closely together, preventing crime by being visible on the streets and providing reassurance to the public."

Operation Snowball saw shop thefts being reduced by 26.6 per cent, autocrime by 44.4 per cent and burglary by 37.5 per cent.

However, there was an increase in incidents of violence, which rose by nine offences on 2003.