CRIME in York and North Yorkshire is down - but violent offences have soared, according to police statistics out today.

North Yorkshire Police say total recorded crime in the county fell by 13.5 per cent from 71,393 to 61,783, in the past 12 months, with detection rates increasing from 27.7 per cent to 35.1 per cent.

It is said to be one of the country's best performing forces.

Across the county, burglary fell by 40 per cent, vehicle crime fell by 32 per cent and robbery fell by 16 per cent.

But the number of violent crimes, which include public order offences, rose sharply with 12,923 in the past 12 months - a 23.4 per cent increase.

A total of 25,975 people were arrested.

Chief constable Della Cannings said the success was testimony to the hard work of staff.

As reported in the Evening Press last month, crime in York and Selby reduced in all quarters, with the exception of violent offences.

Burglaries were more than halved to 1,116, there were 173 recorded robberies (down from 215) and total crime in the city fell by 21.1 per cent.

In Selby, burglaries were nearly halved, but there were sharp increases in violent crime (34 per cent) and robbery (58 per cent).

Superintendent Tim Madgwick hailed the figures, but said more work needed to be done.

"Our message is that if people are going to commit offences of violence in the city then we are going to catch them," he said.

"With higher detection rates, their chances of being caught in York are higher than ever before.

"I am delighted that we have cut all crime by a fifth in York."

In Ryedale, PC Terry Triffitt, of the community safety partnership Safer Ryedale, said there had been no dramatic increase in violent crime in his area, but the figures were up because of new Home Office crime recording guidelines.

Updated: 12:26 Saturday, May 14, 2005