CRIMEFIGHTERS are celebrating in North Yorkshire as crime levels hit a ten-year low and public confidence in the police grows.

North Yorkshire Police Authority has unveiled statistics which show crime has been driven down on a significant scale.

The force’s chief constable Grahame Maxwell claims that over the financial year 2008-09 there was a decrease in crime rates to below 50,000 incidents for the first time in a decade.

There was 48,682 crimes over this period meaning a drop of nearly 1,500 crimes for the financial year 2008-09 compared to the same period 2007-08.

The force had set itself a reduction target of 422 crimes for the financial year 2008-09.

Chief constable Maxwell said: "During the past two years North Yorkshire Police has undergone a major review of its capacity and capability.

"This was to ensure the force is fit for purpose to meet the challenges that modern policing brings.

"While we still face many challenges and performance can be further improved, I am nevertheless extremely proud of the great strides we have made to drive down crime and make North Yorkshire Police the vital and trusted hub of the communities we serve."

The work of the force’s 17 Safer Neighbourhood Police Teams had a large role to play in the drop he added.

Police figures show that incidents of anti-social behaviour were reduced by 907 crimes in the last financial year with a total of 49,684 cases recorded.

The figures show that over the financial year 2008-09 compared to the same period 2007-08 vehicle thefts fell by 102 cases, sex crimes fell by 28 cases and drug offences by 171 cases.

Jane Kenyon, chairwoman of the police authority said: "These are excellent results and a tribute to the police and their sustained hard work to reduce crime and to increase the public's confidence in their local policing services.

"We continue forward on the front foot, working with our partners, consolidating the Safer Neighbourhoods philosophy whilst aggressively targeting serious offences.

"This approach should ensure that North Yorkshire and the City of York remain amongst the safest places in the country."