CRIME is falling in Middlesbrough, according to new statistics.

Before his election as Mayor of Middlesbrough, Ray Mallon was a pioneering police chief, known as "Robocop" and was the architect of zero tolerance police techniques.

On his appointment as head of Middlesbrough CID, the former Detective Superintendent Mallon vowed to "take back the streets'' from the criminals.

When he was first elected mayor, Mr Mallon pledged to slash crime in Middlesbrough by 15 per cent.

He promised to achieve this, using a 90-strong force of street wardens, Britain's biggest single community protection force.

Newly released Home Office figures show that since 2002 - the year he was elected mayor - the community has seen a 25 percent drop in crime.

"Significant" declines have been seen in 'robbery of personal property,' which has reduced by 65 percent over the past four years, and 'theft or unauthorised taking of a vehicle,' which has seen a 61 percent reduction.

Former police inspector Graham Strange, co-ordinator of the Safer Middlesbrough Partnership umbrella organisation, yesterday (FRI) paid tribute to the part played by the partnership approach to reducing crime in Middlesbrough.

He said: "This is a significant achievement and shows that the multi-agency processes that have been put in place are taking effect. The past twelve months have seen the most significant crime reductions in many years and the challenge now is to maintain this momentum."

Coun Barry Coppinger, Middlesbrough Council Executive Member for Community Safety and Leisure, said: "These figures show the police, council and other partners - working with the local community - have made a real difference.

The Safer Middlesbrough Partnership now aims to achieve a further eight percent crime reduction over the next year and the organisation is putting in place a new Community Safety Plan to help achieve this.

The plan sets out a new approach involving a range of measures while further cementing the successful partnership between voluntary and statutory agencies.

Coun Coppinger said: "Diverting young people from crime, reducing re-offending, supporting victims, taking further action on town centre and neighbourhood safety will enable us to continue making progress."