BIRKENHEAD was the most violent town in Merseyside on New Years Eve.

Assaults during celebrations were more common in Birkenhead Town Centre than Liverpool City Centre.

Figures from the Ambulance Service show that paramedics were called to 17 incidents of assault in Birkenhead while the figure for Liverpool was 11.

Across Merseyside, ambulance crews treated 71 victims between midnight and 6am - the same as the entire 24-hour period last New Year.

Birkenhead had the most call outs, followed by Liverpool City Centre, Toxteth, Huyton and Southport.

An ambulance service spokesman said: "Considering there are many more people in Liverpool city centre than Birkenhead, we think the numbers are very significant."

Frank Field, MP for Birkenhead, said: "We clearly need a fairer share of the Merseyside Police budget to be put to work in Birkenhead.

"This is something I have raised with the police in the past.

"There is also clearly some behaviour here that is frightening. It is also depressing because the vast majority of people are horrified by it.

"These figures are a challenge to the Chief Constable about how they deploy their staff."

Last New year's eve there were 1,112 emergency calls received compared to 1,073 calls this year.

We asked our readers if they felt safe on a night out in downtown Birkenhead:

Joanne Herr from Bromborough, said: "I wouldn't normally go out at night in the town because it's a bit daunting although I am this week. I would definitely feel safer going out somewhere else. Birkenhead has a reputation for trouble and I don't like the bars here, or the toilets."

John Kelly of Birkenhead said: "It's not a very inspiring place to go at night I would rather go to Liverpool, but I have heard that Chester has an equally bad reputation for trouble. I feel fine when I'm by myself but not if I am with my partner.

Birkenhead cabbie Keith Brewster, said: "I work during the day, there is no way I would work at night in Birken-head because I value my life. There are so many idiots about these days. Liverpool isn't as bad because there are more police on the streets.

Lennie Stone from Birkenhead said: "I go out in Birkenhead but I don't like the atmosphere at the end of the night there are too many angry people walking about. We make sure that we leave before everything shuts and then you're usually all right.