RESIDENTS and councillors in part of York received a detailed breakdown of criminal damage in their area, at a special community meeting.

Heworth's Joint Action Group (JAG) received a detailed police report, following a three-month study in the ward.

The research showed that, from January to March this year, there were 102 counts of criminal damage committed in the ward - just more than one a day.

Of those, 41 were committed against vehicles - the largest individual group.

There were also 30 counts of criminal damage to dwellings, 12 to other buildings, and 19 to other objects or items.

The study was also broken down by day of the week and time of day.

Unsurprisingly, weekends were the most prolific times for the criminals. There were 20 offences committed on Saturdays, 18 on Fridays, and 15 on Sundays during the three-month period. Mondays were the quietest days, with 11 offences.

In terms of time, offences most commonly occurred during early evening, with 13 of the 102 occurring between 6pm and 7pm, and a further 15 occurring between 7pm and 8pm.

Police also produced a series of "hotspot" maps, showing where most offences occurred.

For damage to a dwelling, or to a vehicle, the main problem areas were around the Bell Farm estate and Byland Avenue.

For damage to other buildings, problems were especially acute at the eastern end of Fifth Avenue, and for miscellaneous damage, the hotspots were around Hempland Lane and Burnholme Drive.

Local councillor Paul Blanchard said: "It's really useful to have a detailed analysis of the crime pattern in the ward.

"My fellow ward councillors and I have been getting detailed information like this for a long time on all aspects of crime in Heworth. It's important to keep on top of it."

He said Sergeant Mike Walker, head of the dedicated policing team in Heworth, was keen for the public to know what was happening in their ward.

Coun Blanchard said: "The police are very good at working with the local ward councillors and council officers, and we meet every month with the police to discuss what's happening in the ward.

"The police do a great job in Heworth and I'm very grateful to them for their hard work."