NEW figures of recorded crime in Kendal and the Lakes prove the area is a "very safe" place to live, according to the police area commander for South Cumbria

Supt Colin Mather told the Kendal police area liaison committee that the statistics recorded for August this year were figures which he was "proud to bring into the public domain".

In Kendal, a total of 241 offences were recorded in August, a reduction of 26 compared with the same period last year.

The number of thefts in the town was down from 82 to 67, and there were just ten burglaries from dwellings, which was "not bad" said Supt Mather considering there were in the region of 20,000 houses in Kendal.

Vehicle crime was also down from 31 offences in August last year to 15 this summer.

The total number of offences recorded in the Lakes were up from 118 to 153, but this increase was starting from a small base, the area commander reported.

"I am pleased to announce we are continuing to address crime, we are up to speed and well within our targets," said Supt Mather, who praised the Crime and Disorders partnership whose active work had contributed to the statistics.

"I think the figures speak for themselves - South Cumbria remains a very safe place to live."

When asked about the perceived increase in the incidence of drug-related crimes, Supt Mather said: "The anomaly with drugs offences is that we only record those we detect."

But he added that resources were being put into intelligence work to address the drugs issue and target drugs offenders.