AND now for the good news... York has always, compared to other major cities, been a pretty safe place to live.

Sometimes, yes, an horrific crime a murder, a stabbing, or a rape does make the front pages. Yet in a way, the very attention given to such incidents is a reflection of what a quiet city this is. In many other big cities, murders are so common they do not make headline news. Not in York.

Despite this, for years the perception has been that crime in York is worse than it is.

New figures, however, reveal that at last our fear of crime is reducing. Slowly, we are beginning to realise how lucky we are.

A report compiled by City of York Council reveals that we are less worried now about street robberies, car crimes or being physically assaulted than at any time since figures began to be recorded almost ten years ago.

That really is good news: because fear of crime can in some ways be every bit as crippling as crime itself. Council officers admit they are stumped as to exactly why we all suddenly feel safer. They conclude that a greater police presence and a series of high-profile crime-prevention initiatives have all helped.

The news we published recently, that violent crime in York has fallen by a quarter since new pub opening hours were introduced, will also have contributed to the feelgood factor.

There remains much to be done. Despite the improvement, overall still only half of us feel York is a safe place to live which means half of us don't. Residents in the Ratcliffe Street area, named as York's worst car crime hotspot, may well be among them.

But things are moving in the right direction, which is good. Because a life lived without fear is a blessing.