POLICE in Wiltshire are bucking the national trend in recruiting minority ethnic officers.

The force has 1.3 per cent of its officers within this category, compared with the target of one per cent.

A recent national report highlighted the problems of recruiting from minority groups.

The Wiltshire recruitment figure is contained in the latest performance review, which is being presented to the police authority this week.

Other statistics show that the number of burglaries in north and west Wiltshire fell in the first half of this year.

The detection rate, however, fell by two per cent, while incidents of vehicle crime in the north and west Wiltshire police division fell from 929 to 865.

Figures for the detection and resolution of racially aggravated crimes also show an improvement, with 42 per cent this year in the half-year, compared with 29 per cent a year ago.

During the same period, the number of people charged or cautioned for supplying class-A drugs fell from 13 to seven.

Efforts to reduce the number of casualties in road accidents have met with mixed success during the four months up to July.

Across the county, the total killed or seriously injured has risen from 120 to 146.

In the north and west Wiltshire areas it has moved from 45 to 62.

The number of children in this category rose from nine to 17.

However, there was a drop - from 889 to 873 - in the number of people slightly injured.

Chief constable Dame Elizabeth Neville will also report to the audit and monitoring committee on progress being made on reducing the amount of overtime worked by officers.

She said the requirement was for a 15 per cent reduction (£192,000) over three financial years from April 2003.

The performance is monitored by the Inspector of Constabulary as part of the efficiency plan monitoring.

This monitoring concentrates on finance target and performance.

In the first quarter, the targets were met, but later figures indicate that, up to the end of September, the expenditure on overtime was £520,000, against a budget of £487,000.

The chief officer said: "This figure might change, depending on further guidance expected from the inspector in November.

"Currently, the guidelines are being reviewed, with the intention to identify which costs need not be included within the spend figure.

"If some spend can be excluded, this is likely to bring us back nearer to, or on target, at the end of September spend," the chief officer said.