Keighley has had fewer robberies in the past year than anywhere else in West Yorkshire.

Figures released this week show there have been 155 offences since April last year.

The tally is 2.5 per cent down on the corresponding period in 2001-02.

Det Chief Insp Roger Gasson -- of Keighley CID -- said he was pleased with the decrease, but warned there would be no complacency.

He said: "We have made a concerted effort to deal with robberies and that is reflected in the division-wide figures.

"We set up a dedicated robbery team, have had high-visibility patrols in hotspot areas and made a large number of arrests.

"Using detailed analysis, we can identify hot-spots each week and concentrate our resources accordingly."

Increased patrols will be launched next week in the town centre, where there have been three reported thefts of mobile phones in the past week.

Police will be working in close liaison with Town Centre Management and security staff at the Airedale Shopping Centre.

And the bus station area will receive extra officers in response to concerns about groups of youths congregating and causing a nuisance in the late afternoon and early evening. Det Chief Insp Gasson said notable recent success had been achieved in the battle against vehicle crime, with five "significant arrests" last week.

Offences had dropped in the town centre and Dalton Lane areas after they had been targeted as hotspots. Districts singled out for action this week -- with high-visibility patrols and covert operations -- included Long Lee, Knowle Park and Haworth.

News on the house-burglary front over the past year is less encouraging. There were 53 offences in the Keighley police division last week and the total since last April is 1,909 -- up 4 per cent on the corresponding period the previous year. But successes have also been reported as part of the Operation Paradise burglary-busting initiative. Last week there were 21 arrests in connection with house burglaries.

Fell Lane has been identified as a hotspot and will be targeted next week with a range of measures.