CRIME in Middlewich is going down but the number of calls to police are on the increase, according to figures released this week.

Middlewich CAT team received 530 calls between February 21 and April 24 this year - the nine weeks prior to the town's first Community action Meeting (CAM) - but there were only 133 recorded crimes within the same period.

This compares to 152 recorded crimes from the same nine weeks in 2005 and marks a drop of 12.5 per cent.

In the nine weeks since the first CAM, Middlewich police have received 534 calls and dealt with 119 recorded crimes, compared with 142 recorded crimes in the same period last year.

This is a drop of 16.2 per cent between 2005 and 2006 and a drop of 10.6 per cent between the two nine-week periods in 2006.

PC Mike Senior, who collated the data in advance of the second CAM - held at Middlewich Primary School as the Guardian went to press yesterday, Tuesday - said he was pleased with the figures.

He said: "We think the people of Middlewich are probably happier with policing this year than last year based on the figures we have got and we'd be interested in seeing what the public think in the next public perception survey.

"Crime is down during a period where there's been a boat festival and a World Cup so this is a small step but a significant step in the right direction."

For more information on the CAM see the full report in next week's Guardian.