CRIME in North Yorkshire has fallen by more than double the national average in the past year, though the number of recorded violent crimes has soared.

Senior officers in the county hailed the figures, saying they showed the force was one of the most effective in the country, and insisted that the apparent upsurge in violence was misleading.

The Recorded Crime Statistics for 2004/2005, published today, show crime across England and Wales has fallen by six per cent in the past year - but as the Evening Press reported in May, the North Yorkshire figure is down by 13.5 per cent.

Nationally, the statistics show violent crime has risen by seven per cent, while in North Yorkshire it is up by 23.4 per cent. But the police and Home Office put that down to increased public reporting of incidents, and a new classification system meaning minor scuffles and in some cases even shouting were now classed as violent crime.

Earlier this year, the Evening Press reported that new figures showed there were five instances a day of violence in York city centre.

But North Yorkshire Police and the Home Office both highlighted the British Crime Survey, also published today, as evidence of the falling crime levels.

According to the survey, which measures people's experiences of crime, violence is down by 11 per cent, with overall crime down by seven per cent.

North Yorkshire's Chief Constable, Della Cannings, said: "Today's national statistics hold no surprises for the people of North Yorkshire or for their police service, but they provide a timely reminder of the need to push forward and improve performance even more. That is our intention and our commitment."

Today's figures also show North Yorkshire is one of the most crime-free areas in the country. There were 81 recorded crimes for every 1,000 people in North Yorkshire last year, and out of 38 English regions, only Durham, Suffolk, Surrey and Wiltshire had lower rates.

In the East Riding of Yorkshire, crime fell across the board. The overall decrease was 14.7 per cent, the largest in the Humberside Police area. Crime fell by 12.3 per cent in Humberside.

Updated: 10:27 Thursday, July 21, 2005