HOUSE burglaries on Teesside have reached a 30-year low, according to the latest police figures.
Police in Stockton said during the period for the year to March, there had been 1,370 house burglaries.
The figure, which is the equivalent of fewer than four burglaries a day in Stockton, Billingham, Thornaby and Yarm, is believed to be the lowest since the 1970s.
Chief Superintendent Dave Pickard, Cleveland Police's district commander for Stockton and chairman of the Safer Stockton Partnership, said: "This is our best result for many years." The chief superintendent said because of changes to the computer system, records only date back to 1992.
He said the force's previous best result was about 1,750 burglaries in 2000/2001.
He said: "Our best estimate is that this is the lowest level since way back in the 1970s. So we are absolutely delighted to get down to this level."
The figures were greeted with scepticism by some local politicians.
Yarm ward councillor Brian Jones said: "Fundamentally, you can select a statistic which suits your agenda."
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