POLICE in York today hailed a "phenomenal" drop in house burglaries across the city, but called on city residents to play their part in driving crime down further still.

Figures released today show the number of house break-ins fell by nearly a third in the six months to the end of September, meaning 371 fewer people suffered at the hands of criminals.

Overall, crime in the city dropped by eight per cent, although the number of vehicle thefts and incidents of shoplifting rose slightly.

Detective Inspector Andy Bell said the number of burglaries had plummeted from 1,184 from April to September last year to 813 for the same period this year.

"This is a phenomenal result which is due to the hard work of our officers in targeting offenders and specific areas of the city," he said. "We are now reaping the rewards of our efforts."

Violent assaults in the city dropped by ten per cent, down from 772 last year to 698 this year.

DI Bell said the results were impressive and were further boosted by new figures showing a detection rate of 87 per cent.

The small rise in stolen vehicles could be largely attributed to the ongoing spate of stolen motorcycles and mopeds, DI Bell said, and the increase in the number of shoplifting incidents showed that city stores were improving their security and making more arrests.

And there was a surprise drop in the number of cycle thefts.

"This is a rarity in this city, but numbers would be lower still if people invested in a decent lock to go with their expensive bikes," said DI Bell. And he added that simple security devices fitted to homes, sheds and garages could help bring crime levels in the city down even further.

"Altogether these are encouraging figures but we must not be complacent," he said. "Crime is a constant problem in any civilised society, but with the help of the public we can make a real difference."