Crime has hit a 12-year low in Northern Ireland, police said yesterday.
The number of reported incidents since last October has fallen by a fifth. Violence causing injury, theft and criminal damage are all down.
Chief Constable Matt Baggott said: “While this reduction is to be welcomed, we are not complacent. It is our aim to ensure that we have the right number of police officers on our streets, in our communities and neighbourhoods to ensure that we continue to make a real difference.” Reported crime in the North fell each consecutive month from October 2009 to January 2010, a combined fall of 19.6 per cent.