CRIME in England’s biggest county is on the way down - dropping by more than a tenth over 12 months.

Between April and December 2009, total recorded crime compared with the same period in 2008 was down by 10.5 per cent, according to Chief Constable Grahame Maxwell.

That equates to 3,892 less victims of crime - and the performance is projected to continue to the end of the financial year.

In a report to the North Yorkshire Police Authority’s performance and scrutiny board Mr Maxwell said the county remained one of the safest and low-crime places to live and work in the whole country.

There were 915 fewer thefts from vehicles, 33 fewer personal robberies and domestic burglaries were down by 356 incidents. There were also 223 fewer thefts of vehicles.

The detection rate in serious violence cases also improved, jumping from 50.6 per cent to 68.7 per cent.

Chief Constable Maxwell said: "For the majority of the calendar year we have prided ourselves that we have had the lowest crime rate per head of population and we have done this in challenging circumstances - not least the unheralded influx of visitors to the county in the summer months and the impact of the economic down turn both within North Yorkshire and in our neighbouring counties."

He added: "Nationally and locally there is a drive to improve public confidence.

"To do this we must continue to not only reduce crime but we must continue to improve our service under the hallmarks of safer neighbourhoods, enhancing our initial contacts and improving user satisfaction with our services.

"As we move into the new year, North Yorkshire Police and our local agency partners must, and will, continue to actively engage with our communities to understand and deal with the crime and anti-social behaviour issues."

The chairman of the scrutiny board, Tony Hargreaves, described the report as excellent news.

But he added: "We wholeheartedly recognise that the achievement of reducing incidents by over 10 per cent has not been done in isolation by North Yorkshire Police but in partnership with local councils and communities as well as within the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships in each of the districts.

"We acknowledge their part in the efforts to reduce crime and will continue to work closely with them through this next year."