CRIME in the county has fallen by seven per cent making it officially one of the safest places in the country.

Figures released today by the Home Office show Essex has one of the lowest crime rates in England and Wales with an average of 61 crimes per 1,000 people.

Every single type of crime has fallen in the county except for sexual offences which are up nine per cent.

Robbery is down 16 per cent and drug offences down 15 per cent. Burglary is down one per cent.

Deputy Chief Constable of Essex Andy Bliss, said: “We are very pleased with these latest figures, which show that Essex continues to be a safe place and sits third in the country for the confidence the public have in us and local authorities to reduce crime.

“We recognise that this is not just down to the efforts of Essex Police. We have been working closely with other local agencies and together we are determined to drive down crime yet further as part of our commitment to serving local communities.

“Whilst overall crime is down, in some areas there is still more for us to do and we recognise that this must now be achieved against a background of significant budget cuts. Everyone can do their bit to help the police reduce crime even further just by taking simple security measures. We know though that people look to us to keep them safe and Essex Police will focus even more closely on this during the course of the current year.”