POLICE have reassured residents of Teesdale that despite a rise in crime the dale is still one of the safest places to live in County Durham.
In the past year, crime in Teesdale has risen by 26.2 per cent. However, Teesdale Police Community Consultative Group heard the Barnard Castle area still had the lowest level of crime in the force area.
Superintendent Andy Summerbell said one of the reasons for the rise was that Teesdale had a low rate of crime, so any increase was likely to be reflected sharply in percentage terms.
There were 317 recorded crimes in Teesdale last year, compared to 400 this year.
Barnard Castle community inspector Kevin Tuck said this amounted to 50 crimes per 1,000 people - almost half that of Bishop Auckland and Darlington.
Supt Summerbell said: "In Teesdale when you walk out of your home you're probably going to get back safely.
"But for those who do wake up burgled, I hope our response is as effective as it would be in the middle of Durham."
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