IN THE first month of the year, there were 53 recorded crimes in the Dunfermline Central area including 12 assaults and seven drug offences.

Police told Central Dunfermline Community Council that heroin, diazepam and cannabis were seized in January, there were 10 shoplifting offences and five fixed penalty tickets issued to people urinating outside.

Officers also dealt with two reports of vandalism, three breaches of the peace, four thefts, five incidents of threatening and abusive behaviour and two road traffic offences – no seat belt and failing to obey a red light.

The area covers the city centre, Touch, Garvock and Halbeath Road and the majority of assaults were on Friday and Saturday nights in or around Brasshouse, Life, Lourenzo’s, the Bruary, Harlem and the Carnegie Drive taxi rank.

At the time of the community council meeting, nine of the 12 assaults were detected and eight of the 10 shoplifting offences had been detected.

The stores targeted were Poundland, Debenhams, Boots, Marks and Spencer, Primark and Waterstone’s.