Crime falls to its lowest for 18 years

Crime in the West Midlands has fallen to its lowest level in 18 years but 500 more people were burgled last year, say police.

Car crime, robbery and vandalism all dropped, leading to a total fall in offences of almost 11 per cent.

The figures reveal that the total number of offences fell from 278,735 to 248,390, but police are still only solving a quarter of all crimes.

Wolverhampton saw a reduction of five per cent, Sandwell and Walsall fell by just over five per cent each, while Dudley recorded the biggest fall of the Black Country boroughs, with a drop of 8.7 per cent.

The figures compare the period between April 1 last year and March 31 this year to the same period in the previous 12 months.

Deputy Chief Constable Philip Gormley said it was "gratifying" to see crime at its lowest level since 1989 and paid tribute to the hard work of officers, staff and other organisations.

Across the West MIdlands, vehicle crime is down by more than 13 per cent, robbery fell by 16.6 per cent, while violent crime dropped by nine per cent.

Criminal damage is down by almost 17 per cent, but house burglaries rose by three per cent to 18,047.

Mr Gormley said: "It's crucial that members of the public start feeling safer."