Homeowners and builders will be showing the door to burglars by using the latest anti-crime design ideas if a new campaign launched in York is successful.

York MP Hugh Bayley, left, launches the Design Out Crime initiative at the Neighbourhood Watch Conference at Millthorpe School, York, with Jane Brown, director of the Safer York Partnership and Jim Shanks, police architectural liason officer

The Design Out Crime initiative is aimed at ensuring more homes are designed with crime prevention measures in place.

It was launched at the annual conference of the City of York Neighbourhood Watch Association by York MP Hugh Bayley.

Leaflets entitled Help Us To Design Out Crime have been produced by the Safer York Partnership and will be given to anyone putting in a planning application to the City of York Council.

Mr Bayley said: "We want people to ask the question 'Will this building or this design keep criminals out?'"

For instance a flat roof could be an invitation to a burglar to break into a first floor window.

Jane Brown, director of the partnership, said clear views and space around the home for householders helped prevent crime. She said most of the work on the leaflet had been done by Jim Shanks, York Police's architectural liaison officer.

Mr Bayley also revealed the latest crime figures for York to about 150 delegates, which he said showed the success of York-based schemes.

Violent crime was down by four per cent, burglaries of dwellings down by 1.5 per cent, and theft of motor vehicles down by eight per cent.

Shed break-ins were up, showing the need for more security in outbuildings.

The number of shoplifting offences had risen by a massive 258 per cent, but Mr Bayley said this was down to a high profile campaign to arrest shoplifters - resulting in more crimes being recorded.

Speaking to the Evening Press after the conference at Millthorpe School, Mr Bayley praised York's Neighbourhood Watch schemes.

"Neighbourhood Watch is growing in York because it works," he said. "The number of groups has doubled in the last four years, so almost half the homes in York are covered. Half still do not have a group so there is scope for it to grow and put criminals on the run," he added.

The conference was also attended by Sue Yoxall, chief executive of the National Neighbourhood Watch Association.

She presented York chairman Bill Gambold with a certificate of achievement after the 1,000th neighbourhood watch scheme was established in York.

Mr Gambold said that represented more than 40 per cent of householders in the city.

Ms Yoxall spoke about the national work done by the association. She said a new campaign to tackle bogus callers was ongoing and the association was giving information to the makers of Coronation Street, which was about to introduce a Neighbourhood Watch storyline.

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