ALMOST 100 arrests have been made in the past three months by Kidderminster Police following a blitz of dawn raids targeting known burglars.

The swoops have led to the recovery of stolen property, including silverware and electrical goods.

The crackdown is part of the Operation Bumblebee campaign and the detection rate of 30 per cent in the police's Kidderminster Division has exceeded the original target figure of 20 per cent.

The division's intelligence-led methods have proved so successful that they are being adopted by other police forces.

"This is an ongoing programme in which we are targeting known burglars and making their lives very difficult," said Inspector David Jones.

"During the past three months, we have executed 98 search warrants. In addition, we are doing as much as we can to encourage the public to work with us to help to reduce these crimes.

"Leaflets have been distributed to many households to give advice to the public about protecting their homes and property."

The success of the Operation Bumblebee raids follows last week's exclusive Shuttle/Times &News report on dramatic reductions in crime figures across Wyre Forest this year.

All reported crime had fallen by 24 per cent while violent crime was down by 22 per cent and vehicle crime down 29 per cent.