HOME Secretary Jack Straw has praised Durham Police for recording a fall in crime.

According to Home Office figures between October 1999 and September 2000, crime in the county dropped by 4.6 per cent, down 2,265 recorded crimes.

Durham was one of 26 police forces in England and Wales to achieve a fall in recorded crime.

Mr Straw said: "I congratulate efforts by all to achieve this."

Across the county, figures showed there was a 33 per cent rise in robbery, which police put down to robberies committed by teenagers stealing mobile phones, bikes and toys such as Pokemon cards from youngsters.

Liberal Democrats said this figure highlighted the need for more bobbies on the beat.

A total of 790 violent offences were committed in the Darlington area, 7.9 offences for every 1,000 of the 99,944 people living in the town. Officers detected 702 of those crimes, giving them a clear-up rate of 89 per cent.

Police dealt with 30 sex offences during the 12 month period, detecting 27 of those, giving a clear-up rate of 90 per cent.

There were 88 robberies in the town, of which officers have cleared-up 38 or 43 per cent.

A total of 728 burglaries were committed on the 40,340 homes in Darlington, 7.3 break-ins per 1,000 population. One hundred of these burglaries were solved, a clear-up rate of 14 per cent.

There were 598 motor vehicle thefts in the town, of which 110 were detected, and 1,757 thefts from cars, of which 71 were detected.

A total of 651 violent offences were committed in the Sedgefield area, 7.1 offences for every 1,000 of the 91,958 people living in the district. Officers detected 588 of those crimes, giving them a clear-up rate of 90 per cent.

Police dealt with 44 sex offences during the 12 month period, detecting 42 of those, giving a clear-up rate of 95per cent.

There were 51 robberies in the district, of which officers have cleared-up 29 or 57 per cent.

A total of 453 burglaries were committed on the 35,974 homes in the Sedgefield area, 4.9 break-ins per 1,000 population. A total of 58 of these burglaries were solved, a clear-up rate of 13 per cent.

There were 451 motor vehicle thefts in the district, of which 64 were detected, and 754 thefts from vehicles, of which 31 were detected.

Nationally violent crimes and robberies rose sharply, while the overall level of crime fell fractionally by 0.2 per cent. It is the ninth time in ten years that violent crime has increased across the country, though last year's rise is half that of the year before when it was 16 per cent