THE Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in North Yorkshire has been given a "good" rating following a Government inspection.

The service won praise for its efforts in raising the number of offences brought to justice by 29 per cent, beating the target of an 11 per cent rise.

Inspectors also praised the handling of sensitive cases, such as child abuse, rape, and hate crime.

However, they judged that there is still room for improvement in the management of resources.

The report acknowledges that the county's CPS has undergone a number of major changes during 2004-5 including moving to a new building and the closure and renovation of the magistrates' court in Scarborough.

The team of inspectors examined a range of documents and procedures in August.

Chief Crown Prosecutor Robert Turnbull said: "This was a robust inspection carried out at a time of major change.

"I am delighted that the inspectors have recognised the good work done in bringing more offenders to justice and providing first-class support to victims and witnesses.

"We have already addressed some of the areas for improvement. For example, there has been significant improvement in the handling of cases relating to persistent young offenders and we will meet our target for the fifth year running in this area of work.

"We will continue the excellent work with our partners to ensure our priorities in making North Yorkshire a place where first-class support is available for those who are victims and witnesses of crime, and an uncomfortable place for those who commit crimes."