CRIME reduction chiefs say they are winning the war on car crime in York at last.

The Press told in October how vehicle crime in the city had reached its highest level in three years, with the number of offences rocketing by nearly 600 per cent in just three months.

But now it has dropped by 10.5 per cent overall, according to Safer York Partnership. There has been a 34 per cent fall in the number of vehicles being stolen and a 42 per cent reduction in interference with vehicles.

Safer York responded to the increase in car crime last year by setting up a multi-agency campaign to tackle it.

Tanya Lyon, chairman of Safer York Partnership's vehicle crime task group, said: "Vehicle crime has long been a problem in York due to high levels of on-street parking spreading the problem across the city. It just goes to show that when all agencies work together to tackle a problem, we can achieve some excellent results."

The vehicle crime task group has developed a number of successful initiatives under Operation Cobra, designed to tackle vehicle crime across the city. The group has been providing crime prevention advice, supporting police operations and specifically targeting satellite navigation thefts in a bid to bring the figures down.

The theft of expensive satellite navigation systems has been blamed for contributing to York Police's car crime woes. In October the thefts had rocketed to almost six a day. Police have now launched a sting operation where sat navs are planted with tracking devices, enabling them to catch thieves red-handed.

It has had access to Home Office funding through Safer York Partnership, enabling them to contribute to initiatives such as the "ring of steel" alleygating scheme being put in place in Clifton.

Superintendent Lewis Raw, of North Yorkshire Police, said: "The results achieved by the task group are an excellent example of partnership working. We are confident that the alleygating scheme will contribute to even greater reductions in vehicle crime in the future."

The task group is made up of representatives from Safer York Partnership, City of York Council Parking Services, Trading Standards, North Yorkshire Police, Probation, the Youth Offending Team and Community Watch.

The Press told in February how police in York and Selby are aiming to reduce car crime by almost a third in three years.

Police in the force's central area have been told to reduce car crime by 30.2 per cent by March 2010.


The statistics

* Car crime in York has dropped by 10.5 per cent.

* The number of stolen vehicles has fallen by 34 per cent.

* There has also been a 42 per cent reduction in the number of vehicles being interfered with.

* Police in York and Selby have been told to reduce car crime by 30.2 per cent by March 2010.