VIOLENT assaults in Bolton have risen by 69 per cent over the last five years, new Home Office figures have revealed.

More than 5,600 reports of violence against the person were made to police between April 2003 and 2004.

This compares with 3,310 for the same period in 1999/2000.

The figures have led to calls for the police and Bolton Council to get to grips with "yob culture".

Bradshaw Tory councillor Paul Brierley believes binge drinking is a key factor in the increase.

He said: "In many parts of our town we have created a yob culture not a cafe culture.

"I have lost count of the number of people who have told me they would rather stay at home than run the gauntlet of binge drinkers or the anti-social louts who are taking over our town."

Serious wounding increased by nearly 40 per cent between April, 2003 and March, 2004 but in the months following April assaults were down by 15 per cent on the same period last year.

Inspector Martin Freschini, of Bolton Police, said officers were winning the war against violent crime, especially in the town centre.

He said: "We have introduced lots of initiatives, such as the night time manager, which are having an effect - when you look at the steady rise which has occurred in the previous years this drop is quite an achievement."

Labour leader Cllr Cliff Morris said measures such as extra police numbers and Anti-Social Behaviour Orders were having an effect.

He said: "We are winning the fight against the yobs but there is still a way to go.

"These thugs are Thatcher's children who have grown up against a background of unemployment."

But the Liberal Democrat leader of the council, Cllr Barbara Ronson, said she was concerned by the figures.

"Tackling violent crime is one of our priorities and we need to change the image some people have of the town centre at night as a violent place to be.

"Alcohol is just one element and we are looking at ways of involving the community to create an atmosphere where violence is unacceptable in areas where it currently is common."