THE sheer scale of the intensive hunt for the missing Aberfoyle couple, Roddy and Annemarie Aitken, was a key factor in a fall in the detection rate and a rise in the overall crime rate of Central Scotland Police in the last year, writes James Freeman, Home Affairs Correspondent.

The adverse figures after years of dramatic falls in reported crime have proved a major disappointment for the force and Chief Constable William Wilson, although the actual rise was only of a tiny handful of 24 crimes and the detection rate fell 2.66% from 56.11% - one of the highest figures in the UK. It remains 17% above the national average.

Mr Wilson put the crime rise into context by revealing that the 15,955 reported crimes for 1997/98 were a 0.15% increase on the previous year but the crime rate for last year remained more than 36% below that of seven years ago. ''Although disappointed that the reductions have not continued, I am pleased that our low level of crime has been maintained,'' he said.

He advised the Central Scotland Joint Police Board that in the first month of the new year, crime had in fact dropped by 8%. Mr Wilson said he was ''justifiably proud'' of his force's detection rate: ''We remain one of the most successful forces in Scotland and indeed in Great Britain in this context.''

Councillor Jeanette Burness, convener of the board, said she was satisfied the figures represented ''just a temporary statistical blip in the overall performance of Central Scotland Police''.

Meanwhile, Scottish Home Affairs Minister Henry McLeish yesterday announced another #1.5m for CCTV schemes to fight crime in Scotland's streets, bringing the sum made available by the Government since the Challenge Funding competition began in 1995 to #5.5m.