WILTSHIRE Constabulary's crime figures were spoilt by burglary statistics higher than the national average because of a crime spree last summer by a Swindon gang.

Burglaries rose by 16 per cent on the previous year, but the force says one gang which has been brought to book could have contributed to the increase.

Assistant Chief Constable Stephen Long today admitted the figure was disappointing, but reassured people that the county remains one of the safest places to live in the country.

Home Office figures reveal recorded crime from April 2001 to March 2002 makes the county the most crime-free area bar one.

Mr Long said: "Everyone who lives in Wiltshire should be pleased with these results.

"They demonstrate that Wilt-shire remains a safe place in which to live and that their police force continues to achieve high levels of performance.

"Credit for this goes not only to the police officers and other members of the constabulary, but also to our partners and the public for their efforts and support."

Overall, crimes recorded in Wiltshire increased from 36,555 to 38,889 six per cent up compared to seven per cent nationally. The Wiltshire force notched up a crime detection rate of 30 per cent, compared to 23 per cent nationally, which makes it the seventh best performing force in the country.

Burglaries increased by 792 on the previous year a 16 per cent rise compared to the national rise of five per cent.

But the force stresses that a high number of offenders taken into custody are drug users and that mobile phone theft continues to be a problem. A single gang operating in the county, which has been now apprehended, is thought to have substantially contributed to the hike.

Mr Long said: "All we need is two or three people committing a lot of crime and the figures go through the roof."

In the past four years, Wiltshire has seen a drop of eight per cent in the number of burglaries. The detection rate is 15 per cent, three per cent higher than the average.

Violent crime increased from 5,042 to 5,066, an increase of 24 offences, or less than half of one percent, compared to a national rise of 11 per cent.

Though violence against the person crimes fell two per cent compared to a UK rise of eight per cent, sexual offences rose by 14 per cent (11 per cent up nationally) and robberies rose by 46 per cent (28 per cent up nationally).