LATEST annual crime figures published by Surrey Police show that overall crime in the West Surrey Division has fallen by 6.4 per cent, with special initiatives against burglary and vehicle crime apparently paying dividends and detection rates also up.

Less satisfactory is the record on violent crime, up three per cent in Waverley, with 936 offences. Surrey, where crime overall fell by 3.3 per cent, saw a 10 per cent increase in violent crime and can no longer boast that it is safest county in the country, but it nevertheless still holds second place, with Wiltshire holding the top spot.

From April 2004 to March 2005, in Waverley overall crime fell by 11 per cent, with 5,315 offences compared to 5,972 the previous year. The number of thefts of and from vehicles is down by 23.2 per cent in the borough, with 546 offences compared to 711 the previous year.

Police attribute this to the re-launch of the Surrey Police vehicle crime campaign in May 2004, aimed at targeting offenders and informing the public how to make their vehicles a less attractive prospect for opportunistic thieves.

The 10 per cent rise in violent crimes in Surrey is, the police claim, consistent with that seen in other forces. Some of the increase is attributable to changes in Home Office Counting Rules as some offences, such as indecent exposure, were previously counted in the "other crime" category and are now counted as sexual offences and, therefore, violent crimes.

"The majority of the increase in violent crime in Surrey is due to more minor offences such as harassment and common assault," said a Surrey Police press release.

West Surrey Chief Inspector Duncan Greenhalgh said: "It must be highlighted that levels of crime remain low, in comparison with national figures, in both Waverley and Guildford. he low levels mean that in West Surrey you are less likely to become a victim of crime.

"Our hard effort in solving crime as reflected in the increase in detections should also be noted, as it means that we are bringing more offenders to court to face justice."

The latest public survey on policing in the county, carried out in the autumn, showed that 73 per cent of people in Surrey felt safe walking alone in their area after dark, compared to last year's 47 per cent, and 97 per cent felt safe during the day. In addition, 83 per cent said they had seen a uniformed officer in their area at least monthly and only 6 per cent had not seen a uniformed officer compared to 58 per cent last year.

The Home Office commented on the figures which shows how levels of crime are changing across the country based on the BCS (British Crime Survey) and police recorded crime statistics. The figures showed that overall the South East has one of the lowest rates of total recorded crime.

John Scott, Home Office regional director for the South East, said: "Overall recorded crime rates show the South East remains one of the safest parts of the country. Effective partnership working across the region is responsible for the excellent reductions in burglary, robbery and vehicle crime in the South East."