FIVE people are attacked on the streets of York city centre every day, according to shock new figures obtained by the Evening Press today.

Police statistics recording cases of violence in public places show there were 467 attacks in the first three months of 2005 alone - the equivalent of 36 a week.

That figure is 28 per cent higher than in the first three months of 2004, when there were 366 recorded attacks.

The "alarming" figures will bolster fears about parts of York becoming no-go areas, fuelled by drunken violence.

The mother of 20-year-old Adam Duxbury, who was attacked at a Stonebow bus stop when he stepped in to help a couple in their 80s who were being verbally abused by his attacker, said today the figures left her "speechless".

Joan Duxbury's son was left with a broken nose after the beating. His 17-year-old attacker, from Heslington, has since been locked up for six months.

Commenting on the new figures, Mrs Duxbury said: "They are absolutely alarming. I didn't realise it was that vicious in York. It's such a small place - I wasn't aware how dangerous it was."

The Askham Bryan resident said she had assumed her son's ordeal was a "one-off".

She revealed she is planning to leave England soon for Spain, with one factor being the growing lawlessness in the city.

A recent report to North Yorkshire Police Authority said cases classed as violence included assault, harassment (including verbal abuse), sexual offences and robbery.

The Evening Press recently reported that violent crimes across North Yorkshire had ballooned by almost a quarter in the last year, with 12,923 cases recorded. Of that figures, 3,351 (26 per cent) involved no physical contact.

Police stressed crime detection rates had also increased - from 28 per cent to 35 per cent - as senior officers issued a warning to thugs.

Superintendent Tim Madgwick said: "Our message is that if people are going to commit offences of violence in the city then we are going to catch them.

"With higher detection rates, their chances of being caught in York are higher than ever before."

The new figures, obtained under the Freedom of Inform-ation Act, did reveal some good news, with the number of attacks falling for the first three months of 2005.

Dece-mber saw 216 attacks - or seven a day - but since then, the numbers have dropped to 150, about five a day.

There was further good news, with the number of robberies in the city centre falling by 75 per cent in just three months.

There were 12 robberies in December, nine in January, four in February and three in March. The figure recorded in March was the lowest for 12 months.

The city centre is defined as the Micklegate and Guildhall council wards, and broadly covers the area within the inner ring road.

Updated: 10:21 Monday, May 23, 2005