IT is a sad truth that the vast majority of the hard work undertaken by our police officers goes unreported.

Routine arrests and minor court victories rarely make the headlines.

However, the release yesterday of crime statistics gives us the opportunity to praise the hard work undertaken by the men and women of the south Worcestershire force.

Recorded crime in our area has fallen by nearly 15 per cent on the previous year's figure which, officers say, shows "the tide is continuing to turn".

Particularly pleasing is the drop in violent crime of about nine per cent, which contrasts with the national figure, which actually rose by the same percentage.

Although these figures represent only "recorded" crime - rather than actual crime - there is no better measure available by which to judge the performance of our police force.

And they have come out of it extremely well.

Through their unstinting hard work and professionalism, the officers of the West Mercia Constabulary are making a significant difference to our lives.

We are sure that the police will not become complacent. But we also need to play our part.

Every one of us needs to take responsibility for our own - and our own property's - safety.

Yes, we do live in a comparatively low-crime area - and our police force is doing a good job. It's now up to us to make sure it stays that way.