OVERALL crime in Dorset fell by more than nine per cent in the year to the end of December.

Latest figures reveal violence against the person and sexual offences were among the offences to fall.

The figures reveal the fourth consecutive quarterly reduction and give Dorset the ninth-lowest crime rate in England and Wales.

Violence against the person fell by 3.3 per cent compared to a national reduction of 1.9 per cent and sex offences fell by 12.2 per cent compared to 7.3 per cent nationally.

Deputy Chief Constable Scott Chilton said Dorset remains one of the safest counties in the country to live and visit.

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He said: "2020 was a challenging year for everyone, and officers and staff worked hard to meet the new challenges of policing the pandemic whilst also maintaining a visible police presence, reducing and investigating crime, safeguarding the vulnerable and working with local communities to keep them safe.

"All crime matters to our communities, and we will maintain our focus on providing outstanding service to the people of Dorset, particularly those who are most vulnerable.

"Reducing crime is important to everyone. I hope this latest reduction will help to reassure our communities that we are working with them and our partners to focus on what matters."

The total number of crimes reported reduced from 54,388 to 49,351 over the 12 months, reducing 6.5 crimes per 1,000 population.