WILTSHIRE is the safest county in the country, according to crime figures for the past six months.

Performance figures for Wiltshire Police, presented to the county's police authority on Thursday, showed the number of crimes in the county have dropped by 2,000, compared to the same period in the previous year.

Peter Vaughan, Assistant Chief Constable for Wiltshire, said: "Overall these most recent figures show that across Wiltshire and Swindon there are 1,700 fewer victims of crime than there were at the same time last year.

"This reflects not only the efforts of this force but also those of our partners and the local communities we serve and we will continue to work together to build on this good performance."

The figures show that when expressed as 'crimes per population', Wiltshire has the lowest number in England and Wales.

The force has reduced crime in seven out of the nine areas identified as key targets, including burglary, violent crime and vehicle crime.

The number of crimes solved has also increased, with the detection rate now at 29 per cent.