Crimes at Post Offices across Bradford have fallen dramatically, according to new figures.

The police recorded 11 offences of any kind at branches across the district last year, compared with 37 in 2010.

The figures, revealed exclusively to the Telegraph & Argus under the Freedom of Information Act, show the number of actual robberies at Post Offices has remained static, at one per year.

But they only reveal crimes recorded up to October 31 2012, the latest date for which statistics are available.

West Yorkshire Police said the figures represented crimes which had happened either inside or immediately outside Post Offices in the Bradford district, and may or may not have involved Post Office staff.

The most common crime was theft, with 19 recorded in 2010, 15 in 2011 and seven recorded in the data available for 2012.

Detective Chief Inspector Peter Craig, of Bradford South police, said officers had been providing extra security during cash deliveries and he said the decreases reflected an overall drop in crime across the Bradford district.

He said: “By addressing the root causes of burglary, robbery, theft and fraud, we are removing the possibility for commercial premises to be targeted.”

He said police were working more closely with the prison and probation service, and had introduced dedicated officers in prisons to divert offenders away from crime while gathering evidence on those who refused to co-operate.

He said: “This has helped contribute towards 824 fewer recorded crimes across the Bradford district since April 2012, compared to the same period the previous year.

“Our pro-active efforts have also made a difference. Operation Redcoat for instance, has seen the deployment of officers wearing high visibility uniforms during cash deliveries at outlets such as Post Offices.”

Adrian Wales, regional manager at the Post Office, said: “We work closely with police in the area whenever an incident takes place, and we are glad that together we have been able to reduce the number of crimes.

“We have various crime initiatives in place, including our Grapevine intelligence service which aims to protect our staff, customers and assets through a number of high profile and covert operations.”