Burglary has fallen and hundreds of jobs have been created in a Hastings.

The Hastings Regeneration Partnership announced its mid-term achievements today.

The partnership is responsible for spending £128 million of Government money in Hastings and St Leonards as part of an 11-year project.

During its first five years, it has created 814 jobs, 204 childcare places and 20 new crime initiatives.

Inspector Mike Fagan, of Sussex Police, said: "We are delighted with the results. The Home Security scheme has resulted in a 40 per cent drop in burglaries in one targeted neighbourhood and the Getting Into Gear project has made a valuable contribution to reducing car crime, which is down 30 per cent in the past three years."

Also on the partnership's lists of achievements are the start-up of 134 new businesses and 194 people who have become self-employed.

The funding has come from the South East England Development Agency (Seeda).

Partnership chairwoman Christine Goldschmidt said: "Walk through the town and you are likely to hear people saying how much better things are than they were five years ago.

"Seeda money has provided the focus for 80 social, economic, educational, crime and health-related projects, pulling together expertise and resources from public, private and voluntary sectors.

"Without the funding and the commitment from local people, Hastings would never have been able to get so far."