WEST Yorkshire Police has welcomed figures which show the region has seen an eight per cent reduction in crimes involving knives or sharp instruments for the period up to the end of September.

The latest crime statistics published today by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveal some positive crime reductions in West Yorkshire including violence with injury, burglary and vehicle crime.

Operation Jemlock was launched in April 2019 to tackle serious violent crime and knife crime and, since its inception the force has seen a reduction in all knife crime offences.

It also saw a 12 per cent reduction in the number of people, aged under 25, harmed by knife crime.

The police force reported a downward trend in the nine months up to the end of December with 4,200 fewer victims of crime.

Chief constable John Robins QPM, said: “We are now starting to see reductions in crime categories such as violence with injury, burglary and vehicle crime.

"I would like to commend the professionalism, hard work and dedication of the police officers, staff and volunteers of West Yorkshire Police who work tirelessly to confront criminality. 

"I would also like to thank the public and our partners for their continual support.

"The public and our wide range of policing partners play a substantial role in what is a collective effort to prevent crime.

“I am particularly pleased to note that our commitment to tackle knife crime is making such a tangible difference. However we all know that one person adversely affected by knife crime, or serious violent crime, is one too many.  We are not complacent and we are committed to building upon these successes.”

West Yorkshire was noted by the ONS for more concentrated lower-volume, higher-harm types of violence - one of many metropolitan areas marked for this type of crime, like the West Midlands.

In a more national picture, the latest figures from the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) show continued rises in overall fraud, with a nine per cent increase in the year ending September 2019, driven by a rise in “bank and credit account fraud”.

All other main crime types measured by the CSEW showed no change, including lower-harm violent offences (for example, violence without injury and assault with minor injury).