North Yorkshire continues to be one of the safest places in the country, according to a Government report.

And the county's ratepayers are getting good value for money from North Yorkshire Police, with crime rates falling, despite the low cost of the force per person.

"The best news is that crime continues to fall," said Chief Constable David Kenworthy, reacting to the publication of the 1999-2000 report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary.

"Since the 1999-2000 figures were published, we have seen a further six per cent reduction in crime, including an extremely pleasing 27 per cent cut in the number of home burglaries."

The report shows that North Yorkshire has the second lowest cost per head of population of any force in the country, at £102.42 per person per year.

By comparison, residents of West Yorkshire pay £134.18 each for policing, while in Humberside the figure is £128.10. More welcome news comes on the issue of medical retirements, which have dogged the force previously.

A reduction in the number of North Yorkshire Police staff retiring on ill-health grounds has been attributed to the success of the force's staff education and welfare programmes.

In 1996-1997 three-quarters of retiring officers left the force on medical grounds. But last year the percentage dropped to less than half. And the drop in support staff retiring on ill-health grounds dropped from 62 per cent in 1996-1997 to only 15 per cent.

The crime detection rate for the county's officers was better than the national average, with 31 per cent of crimes solved.

"The Chief Inspector of Constabulary's annual report paints a picture of North Yorkshire's force making excellent and continuing progress, despite the difficulties posed by geography and financial constraints," said Mr Kenworthy.

"I want to emphasise that this progress is not solely the work of the county's officers and support staff - it is a joint enterprise between the force and the people it serves.

"We work together and we succeed together."

Bob Humpleby, chairman of the North Yorkshire branch of the Police Federation, welcomed the report's findings.

"It speaks for itself that the force is performing well," he said.

But Mr Humpleby added: "How would we have done if we were up to full strength in terms of staff numbers?"

A full force inspection by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary starts next week.

david.wiles@:ycp.co.uk