Attempts by Leeds City Council to keep the streets safe is failing, according to latest crime figures.

An extraordinary meeting of the city council is being held on Wednesday to answer claims it has failed to meet goverment targets to stop the rise in street crime.

The Leeds Community Safety Strategy was set up to reduce burglary, drugs, violent crime and anti-social behaviour.

But councillor Andrew Carter, leader of the opposition Conservative group, says the initiative is failing.

Persistent nuisance

Violent crime has risen from 5,180 incidents in 2000/01 to 6,800 in 2001/02, an increase of 17%.

Mr Carter told BBC Radio Leeds: "The council failed to meet targets which it set itself last year for playing its part in bringing down crime, street crime in particular.

Crime figures in Leeds

Sexual offences up 10.5% Street robbery up 44.9% Anti-social behaviour orders - 16 between May 2000 and June 2002

bringing down crime, street crime in particular.

"The council can't hide away from the failure to do this.

"The government paraded anti-social behaviour orders as a flagship, a way of getting control of particularly younger people who were causing persistent nuisance to fellow human beings.

"Well if it is such a flagship why on earth are we not imposing some of these antisocial behaviour orders on some of the hooligans who are causing such misery to people in this city?"

Marie Hearnshaw, from north-east Leeds Victim Support said CCTV and neighbourhood wardens had been set up to help local communities.

"If these hadn't been put into place who knows what the figures would have been like anyway."