CRIME in the Bridport, Beaminster and Lyme Regis areas has seen a ‘significant’ reduction in the past year, Inspector Caroline Naughton told Beaminster residents at their annual meeting.

There had been a 37 per cent reduction in violent crime and a 72 per cent fall in burglaries.

But she said in such a low crime area the statistics sound ‘fantastic on paper’ but the high percentage of reductions could mean only a handful fewer crimes.

She said the main causes of violent crimes were still the night-time economy – such as fights outside pubs – and domestic violence.

The drop was in part thanks to Operation Protect carried out last year when the focus was on high visibility visits to pubs.

On burglary she said that 10 years ago there were 150 burglaries a year in Bridport and last year there were 50.

She said: “A lot of that is down to our crime prevention measures and the fact that homeowners are more switched on and that the criminal justice systems comes down quite hard on offenders.

“Our Safer Neighbourhood Teams are continuing to do good work.”

They would also be spending more time with the more vulnerable victims of crime and keeping in contact for longer, she said.

She was asked by a member of the audience about drugs.

She admitted that five years ago there was a real problem with crack houses in Bridport but with close co-operation with Magna Housing Association and using measures to close crack houses down the situation had improved.

“You are never going to stop people taking drugs but we have to make sure it is as controlled as possible.

“It is down to intelligence for us to catch the dealers,” she added.

Other audience members brought up the issue of speeding.

Inspector Naughton said after evaluation of the community Speed Watch project in Chideock there could be the possibility that Beaminster could do the same.

She said: “Since last September in Chideock we sent out 270 letters and there have been no repeat offenders and no offenders who live in Chideock.”

She also told the meeting that despite having to find £18million pounds in savings over the next four years Dorset Police were hoping not to have to reduce front line staff.

They were looking at restructuring the ranks and trimming other backroom services such as IT and human resources.

There was also a recruitment freeze, a voluntary severance scheme and a change in shift patterns.