ROBBERIES, burglaries and vehicle crimes in West Oxfordshire have dropped more than 30 per cent.

The crimes, known collectively as serious acquisitive crime, fell by 31.4 per cent between April 1 and July 24 compared to the same period last year. It is an improvement on figures released in April, which showed serious acquisitive crime had fallen by just six crimes, to 518, compared to last year.

Ch Insp Colin Paine, who joined the district’s force in April, said then that he was “determined to make progress” on burglaries.

Mr Paine said that 90 per cent of crimes at farms were burglaries and thefts.

Speaking at a meeting about rural crime last week, Mr Paine said most crimes affecting farms were happening in the west and south of the district, around Clanfield, Carterton and Witney.

He previously said that a “substantial proportion” of offenders committing burglaries in West Oxfordshire came from Gloucestershire.

He also showed a graph showing Tuesday evenings, and Friday and Saturday afternoons and evenings were peak times for rural crime in the district.

He added: “One of the challenges of policing the area is that people are very trusting. I want people to trust their instincts. If something seems suspicious, I want to know about it.”

He also urged people to join Country Watch to get email and phone alerts about crimes in the area.

* See saferwestoxon.co.uk/fighting-rural-crime or call 01993 861640.