Crime figures for Wharfedale have fallen again despite a new recording methods which should have sent them soaring by ten per cent.

The chief police officer for the Keighley division, Supt Steve Priestley, told Wharfedale Police Community Forum last night that the new system ought to have led to a ten per cent rise in figures.

But he told the forum: "Our officers are feeling more collars than ever before."

Supt Priestley told the meeting at Addingham Middle School that the new statistics gave a more accurate figure of actual crime levels in the division.

He explained that previously if a line of five parked cars were broken into, Home Office statistics would record the incident as just one offence.

Now, using the recording method of 'one victim, one crime,' the same incident would be recorded as five separate offences.

Against this background, Supt Priestley said that by concentrating on known offenders, officers were experiencing more success in the fight against crime.

He said: "Crime is down in the Ilkley area even though new counting rules have been introduced."

But he warned against complacency, saying that half of the offences committed were drug related, a problem which was not confined to urban areas.

"There is a drug problem in the rural communities - you are not free from drugs by any means," said Supt Priestley.

He added: "Against drugs we have had a fantastic success but you are dealing with a very, very difficult problem. We are arresting a lot of drug dealers and our figures have gone up year-on-year."

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