VIOLENT crime is on the rise on the streets of Warrington - but police say the sharp increase is not yet cause for concern.

Offences ranging from assaults and affrays to stabbings and murder have risen from 668 incidents from April to September last year, to 1,007 for the same period in 2002.

But police chiefs say the dramatic rise can be attributed, at least in part, to a change in the way violent offences are recorded.

Chief Insp Steve Littlejohn said that while police were not being complacent, there was no reason to believe there had been a major upsurge.

"There was a major change in the way that statistics are recorded, starting in April. Since then everytime someone reports an offence, not just a violent offence, if there is evidence of an offence then it is recorded," he explained.

This could cover, for example, a fight outside a pub where no arrests are made and no complaint is forthcoming from either party.

Further increases have been recorded for both vehicle crime and burglaries, in the latest figures being presented to Cheshire Police Authority today, Tuesday.

While thefts of and from vehicles increased by eight per cent, the records show that domestic burglaries rose by 12 per cent from 2002-03.

Mr Littlejohn says that these could also have been affected by

the statistics anomaly.

If a front window was broken previously, it would usually have been classified as criminal damage - but if a householder believes theft was the motive it would be categorised as an attempted burglary.

A series of high-profile violent attacks hit Warrington in 2002, including the killing of pensioner Harry Upton, for which a 15-year-old youth will stand trial next year.

And a 74-year-old woman was attacked in her own home in August, leading to 19-year-old Philip Mogg being charged with attempted murder and attempted rape.

Overall Cheshire crime increased by 18 per cent, with offences of criminal damage, violent offences, common assault, and unexpectedly, house burglaries on the rise.

But police have singled out a number of positive Warrington initiatives including Operation Whittle, focusing on shed and garage break-ins in Great Sankey. A joint presence of uniformed and plain-clothed officers led to the arrest of 10 suspects.