CRIMINALS are under increasing pressure as a county-wide crackdown continues to yield results.

Crime rates have fallen, detection rates have increased and more offenders are being brought to justice.

However, the number of violent crimes reported has bucked the trend and gone up by more than half compared with last year, despite the general success of Operation Delivery.

The operation was launched last September and the latest crime figures for the county show the effect it has had.

Overall reported crime has fallen by 2.1 per cent compared with the same period last year and detection rates have increased from 20 per cent to 32 per cent, the second best in the country.

Domestic burglaries have fallen 38 per cent, other burglaries have dropped 25 per cent, vehicle crime is down by 39 per cent and robberies are down 19 per cent.

Violent crime has increased by 57 per cent, but the rate of detection has also increased, up from 56 to 68 per cent.

The total number of people arrested has increased by 30 per cent and the number of offences cleared up has increased by 8.3 per cent to 13,351 - well ahead of the five per cent target set by the Home Office.

The head of the county's administration of justice department, Superintendent Colin Taylor, said: "The impact of Operation Delivery has been tremendous, with arrests and detection rates increasing and recorded crime levels falling, producing performance figures rarely matched anywhere else in the country."

The force hopes further improvements will follow from projects including the introduction of an information technology system and a victim and witness care scheme.

"Our overall aim is to improve efficiency and increase productivity within the criminal justice system," said Supt Taylor.

"Operation Delivery is producing fantastic results and it is imperative that the agencies respond to a similar standard.

"These figures indicate that we are rising to the challenge."