CRIMEBUSTING in Wyre Forest has achieved sensational results with incident rates plummeting by a quarter in just a year.

The figures have been hailed by police chiefs and the district's MP as a major success in the ongoing battle against criminals across Wyre Forest.

Instances of all reported crime are down 24 per cent on last year. Violent crime is down 22 per cent and vehicle crime has dropped an incredible 29 per cent.

The success rate - way ahead of the police's own target reduction figure of five per cent for the year - has been attributed to a range of initiatives.

They include new police strategies and community involvement in the form of the Wyre Forest Community Safety Partnership - a multi-agency body which has made the fight against crime a major priority.

More convictions are also being secured - there has been a 10 per cent rise in those being brought to book this year.

Kidderminster Police Divis-ion's recently appointed Chief Inspector Mark Williams said: "We have been particularly successful in reducing the number of house burglaries.

"That and violent crime are two areas we're very keen to target because they bring about the most distress to victims."

He explained that a strategy of "intelligence-led policing" was achieving results, adding that "using information from the public has really increased the amount of arrests that we've been able to make".

Wyre Forest MP David Lock said: "Overall, crime is down by nearly a quarter. Burglaries are down and car crime has fallen by nearly a third. It's also important that convictions are up.

"People are quick to throw criticism at the police when they get it wrong. Let's praise them when they get it right."

He warned, however: "This is no time to be complacent."

This was echoed by Chief Insp Williams, who revealed the rate of house burglaries had increased sharply this month.

Chief Insp Williams said: "Unfortunately, we have just seen a recent increase. It's still below target but we have had 29 reported in the month of December."

He added: "Previously, we have been averaging between 30-40 a month."

He went on: "It's a seasonal trend. We know there's been an increase in previous Decembers but we're geared up to deal with that this year, hence we have been going all out to do high profile activity to prevent it."

Chief Insp Williams said that information received from the public had already led to one person being charged with six burglaries.

He added that, even with the December increase, the rate of house burglaries in Wyre Forest was still running at 15 per cent lower than the five per cent reduction rate the police had set themselves.

They were also recording a 30 per cent detection rate.