Melton ranked the safest place to be in county

The figures, released by the Office of National Statistics, show that Melton had the lowest number of reported crimes (excluding fraud) for the year ending March 2016 (1,926 crimes) compared to seven other areas of the county. The other areas are Blaby (4,533 crimes), Charnwood (9,628 crimes), Harborough (2,873 crimes), Hinckley and Bosworth (4,736 crimes), Leicester (28,952 crimes), North West Leicestershire (4,455 crimes) and Oadby and Wigston (2,561 crimes).

Out of 19 separate crime categories Melton had the fewest number of reported incidents in 15 of them compared to the other parts of the county. These categories include violent crime, sexual offences, robbery, theft, domestic burglary, vehicle offences, shoplifting, criminal damage and arson and public order offences.

Compared with statistics for the year ending March 2015, Melton was the only area of Leicestershire to see a drop in total recorded crime (13 per cent down) and a drop in the number of offences involving violence against a person (ten per cent reduction).

And out of 295 areas across England, Melton was ranked as having the biggest reduction in total recorded crime (excluding fraud)

Countywide Melton also saw the biggest percentage drops in the categories of violence with injury (28 per cent), theft (17 per cent), burglary (23 per cent), domestic burglary (21 per cent), non-domestic burglary (24 per cent), vehicle offences (38 per cent).

The one area of crime Melton is trailing its county neighbours in, according to the figures, is drug offences. Melton was the only area not to see a decrease in the number of reported incidents comparing both years.

It also saw a small rise (six per cent) in the number of reported shoplifting incidents.

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