THE fear of crime in Newport is higher than the actual crime rate. That was the message given at an anti-crime conference in the town at the weekend.

The Newport Community Safety Partnership's first-ever conference invited delegates from community organisations, Gwent Police, and private companies to discuss how crime has been reduced in the last three years and to plan ahead.

Chief Inspector Simon Deacy, of Gwent Police, spoke about the results of the 2001/02 Crime and Disorder Audit.

He told the conference that the fear of crime in Newport, especially in affluent areas, was far higher than the actual crime rate.

He said: "Newport has been labelled for many years as one of the most violent towns in Wales. At least if we win city status we'll be one of the least violent cities.

"Many, many, many crimes aren't reported to the police. In some doctor's surgeries the staff put up with more intimidation and fear than my police officers working in Newport town centre.

"We speak to young people of 11 or 12 who know that drugs will ruin lives, but they saw abusing drugs and drink as a natural consequence of getting older.

"If we could sum up what the audit has shown us it's that you can make a difference, no matter what your knowledge or experience."

Bridget Barnett, of Duffryn Community Link, told the conference about her experiences of living and working with the deprived community. She said: "It's all very well talking about community safety, but we need to make sure people in the community are involved.

"We have the commitment to act because we live there, and a lot of us are there for good. The community are the biggest stakeholders and we have the most to lose."

And Chief Superintendent Kevin Price (pictured) said: "This is a positive commitment to respond to the concerns of the community and make sure that the experiences of the last three years are not lost."

The conference also hosted workshops on a number of key issues including drugs and alcohol, and young people as offenders and victims.

Chris Freegard, managing director of Newport council, said: "The big message is that certainly recorded crime is coming down, but what we're recognising is that while a lot of crimes are being stopped there's a major issue in terms of anti-social behaviour.

"We're listening to what people have to say and we're trying to act."