CRIME has fallen over the last year in York, official police records reveal, matching trends across North Yorkshire.

North Yorkshire Police said the drop was a victory that made their beat "the safest place" in the country with 11,668 offences recorded in York in the 12 months to December.

The data, produced by the Office for National Statistics, showed a decrease of 16 per cent compared to the previous year, when there were 13,849.

North Yorkshire is the only police force area in the country that had a crime rate below 50 per 1,000 population last year with the rate across England and Wales standing at 81.

Meanwhile York itself recorded 55 crimes per 1,000 people.

Overall, total recorded crime in North Yorkshire and York fell by 13 per cent in 2020 compared to 2019. Across England and Wales, the decrease was 10 per cent.

Crimes recorded in York included: 407 sexual offences, a decrease of 25 per cent; 4,389 violent offences, a decrease of 3 per cent; 1,339 incidents of criminal damage and arson, down 12 per cent; 468 drug offences, down 5 per cent; 91 possession of weapons such as firearms or knives, up 8 per cent; 988 public order offences, up 10 per cent and 3,685 theft offences, down 33 per cent.

Chief Constable Lisa Winward, of North Yorkshire Police, said: “2020 was an extremely challenging year, but exceptional situations call for an exceptional response – and officers, staff and volunteers across the force have shown a level of commitment, professionalism and diligence that is nothing short of incredible.

“Clearly, national lockdown restrictions had a significant effect on levels of crime throughout last year, but it’s encouraging to know that our area remains the safest place in the country. We couldn’t have achieved this without the confidence of the people we serve, and I’m so grateful that our communities have been overwhelmingly supportive of our work during these difficult times.

“It’s very likely that levels of crime will fluctuate as national restrictions ease, but we will never be complacent, and will continue to work hard to meet the challenges we face, ensuring victims remain at the centre of everything we do.”

The ONS said the annual drop was mainly driven by a “substantial fall” in crime of 15% between April and June as the first lockdown restrictions were introduced.

Sophie Sanders, of the ONS Centre for Crime and Justice, said: “There were fluctuations in the level of crime in England and Wales.

“Although a small proportion of these fluctuations will be the result of seasonal effects on crime trends, the majority can be attributed to the introduction and subsequent easing of national lockdown restrictions."

North Yorkshire's new Police Fire and Crime Commissioner Philip Allott said while the overall picture was improving, the detail showed "serious issues" that needed addressing.

Mr Allott said: "These figures confirm that North Yorkshire and York remains the safest place in England and Wales and I thank our police officers and staff for their efforts in such challenging times to ensure that record continues.

“The reduction in overall crime is, of course, welcome but the detail confirms there are serious issues we need to think about the best way of addressing. Stalking and harassment reports are up, as are drug offences, and these are two areas I am determined to ensure are tackled as a priority.

“My Police, Crime and Fire Plan will develop our approach on these issues, alongside the Chief Constable. We need to ensure people have the confidence to report offences and know action will be taken, and we need to ensure the most vulnerable in our communities are protected.”