West Yorkshire has fewer victims of crime and more offenders are being brought to justice, the latest British Crime Survey has confirmed.

The Home Office also released statistics yesterday that show between April and December last year there were in excess of 8,600 fewer crime victims, and more than 40 per cent of serious violent offenders were convicted in the county.

Burglaries, robberies and vehicle crimes continued to fall, along with the number of people injured as a result of assault or serious violent crime. There was a six per cent reduction in burglaries, which is 1,234 fewer victims, but burglary remains a priority for West Yorkshire Police.

More than half of residents in West Yorkshire think the police do an excellent or good job in their local area, and more than 83 per cent of people are satisfied with the overall service they receive from the Force.

Almost 55 per cent of domestic violence cases reported to police resulted in a conviction or caution, an improvement on 2009. The work included an awareness campaign in the run-up to Christmas to encourage more victims to come forward and seek help.

West Yorkshire Deputy Chief Constable David Crompton said his officers must continue to make every effort to drive down crime further.

He said: “It’s a very welcome sight to see that crime continues to fall and that the dedication and hard work of officers is ensuring that fewer people are falling victim of crime.

“Neighbourhood Policing remains a priority for the Force as the teams work within the heart of local communities they are able to solve the problems that really matter to people such as anti-social behaviour and criminal damage.

  • Read the full story in Thursday's T&A