A POLICE Chief has called for the re-labelling of his force after the announcement of a fall in crime and an increase in savings.

Branded a force in crisis, Cleveland Police hit a financial black hole and had to tighten spending.

But on Wednesday, Chief Constable Sean Price reported that crime fell in the Cleveland force area by almost 6,000 in the last 12 months and over the same period, savings of £10m have been achieved.

Mr Price said he now hoped the news would see an end to the labelling of Cleveland Police as a struggling force.

The financial figures, released this week, bring the force back on to an even financial keel.

"These remarkable results are a testimony to the hard work and dedication of the staff and officers," Mr Price said.

"We will not be complacent, but this is clear evidence that the Putting People First strategy is working. I believe the time has come to draw a line on the past and judge this force on its current performance.

"We are neither beleaguered nor in crisis. We are a focused force determined to build on the success of the past year."

Compared to the same period the previous year, house burglaries are down by 29.7 per cent, vehicle crime is down by more than 19 per cent and robberies down by more than 33 per cent.

Crime in general fell by eight per cent, which equates to 5, 980 fewer victims than in the previous year, with 2000 fewer people as victims of burglary.

Mr Price added: "While encouraged by the results of the past year, both myself and the Police Authority want to see crime reduced even further - that is what the people of Cleveland pay for and deserve.

"I have also made the fight against anti-social behaviour a priority for the next 12 months as I appreciate fully the affect this can have on quality of life."

Almost all categories of crime have shown a decrease, the only significant rise was in violent crime - a trend that is mirrored nationally.

Ted Cox, Cleveland Police Authority chairman, said: "All those involved with the force deserve particular credit for delivering this kind of improvement against a backdrop of significant financial pressures."