LATEST crime figures for Teesside have been welcomed by police officials.

Cleveland Police ranked 36 out of 43 forces in England and Wales in the most recent statistics to be published by the Home Office.

Chief Constable Sean Price and police authority chairman Ken Walker welcomed the figures, which showed a reduction in burglary, robbery and vehicle crime.

They said the force's position in the table was attributed to the different pressures faced in comparison with other parts of the country.

The statistics showed that house burglaries across all four districts of the Cleveland area fell, with 125 fewer victims in July compared to the same period last year, a reduction of 18 per cent. There was also a drop in car crime and a 13 per cent reduction in robbery.

Mr Price said: "What matters to the people of Cleveland is whether things are better than they were last year, and yes they are.

"Our work with the local authorities in promoting secure car park initiatives and sound crime prevention advice continues to be fruitful in providing further falls in vehicle crime."

Overall crime rose by 5.5 per cent in July compared to the same month last year, but there had been a reduction of 7.5 per cent since the start of the financial year - the equivalent of 2,000 fewer victims.

Violent crime had increased since last year from 456 incidents to 782, while sexual offences rose from 34 to 71. But Mr Walker said the reason was because of changes in the way crime was recorded.

He said: "There has been a change in the counting system with the result that a significant number of incidents which would previously not have shown up in the figures are now included.

"We also believe that another factor could be that some victims, for example those who have suffered domestic violence or sexual assault, are now feeling more confident about coming forward."