Police hail low crime rate

The leading police officer in Powys has welcomed new crime survey figures showing the county to be the safest place to live in England and Wales.

Chief Constable Ian Arundale said the figures in the British Crime Survey, released by the Home Office, showed the county has the lowest crime rate in the country.

"For the last year we have had the lowest violent crime rate in England and Wales," he said. "Also we have the second highest detection rate for the whole of England and Wales for the same period."

The statistics show there have been no killings in the county in the period 2007-8, and only 5.4 per cent of the population worried about being a victim of violent crime. There were also only 51 crimes per 1,000 residents of the county.

Mr Arundale said: "We would like to reassure people living in Dyfed-Powys it is a safe place to live and where there are instances of violent crime they are dealt with swiftly and appropriately."

Sue Lawson, Newtown mayor, said: "I am absolutely delighted with the news we are the safest place to live in England and Wales.

"It is a lovely start to the Christmas period because earlier in the year, Powys was also voted the happiest place in the country."

Mr Arundale said Dyfed-Powys Police was continuing to crackdown on crime levels throughout the county.

He said: "The British Crime Survey figures revealed how Dyfed-Powys has the lowest levels of worry about being a victim of violent crime in the country. We work hard to ensure that crimes are detected and the perpetrators are dealt with accordingly."