CRIME in the Epping Forest district is falling with the area becoming safer than ever to live, in according to police chiefs.

District Commander Chief Inspector Ivor Harvey told Loughton Town Council's annual meeting that newly-released figures show that his officers' efforts have achieved the lowest crime rate yet.

He said: "Everyone hates stats. That's one of the sad things about trust, but I can tell you we've reduced crime and increased detections. We've got to do both. By reducing crime we have less people suffering. By detecting the crime we lock away the people doing wrong."

Figures show crime in the district was down by 2.75 per cent last year with detection rates up 5.75 per cent.

Anti-social behaviour was down 11 per cent and road accidents down by 102 incidents with casualties down 150, although Mr Harvey said the area still had a big problem with young people involved in car accidents.

Commenting on the statistics, Mr Harvey said: "We're not there yet but we're improving."

In reference to the improved detection rate, he added: "I still want to improve it and make it higher. We're still one of the highest in the county. We were one of the lowest. We e getting better."

Mr Harvey praised the Guardian for highlighting the issue of people driving while using a mobile phone and said it was an area the force would be looking into more.

He voiced his disappointment that the Epping Forest district was the only one in the western division not to have 24-hour CCTV monitoring and suggested the problem may lie in budgetary constraints.

Western Division Commander Chief Superintendent Tim Stokes, also speaking at the Loughton meeting, agreed with Mr Harvey about the recent progress made by Essex Police.

Mr Stokes said: "In the last two years we've reduced crime in the western division by 2,000 incidents. We have detected 7.5 per cent more crimes.

"When I say I'm driving down crime I mean it. It's the lowest crime we've ever had in the western division and in your district and I'm proud of that."