CRIME in the east of Suffolk has dropped by five per cent in the last month according to police figures released today.Police have put the reduction down to the hard work of officers and staff and the targeting of persistent offenders.

CRIME in the east of Suffolk has dropped by five per cent in the last month according to police figures released today.

Police have put the reduction down to the hard work of officers and staff and the targeting of persistent offenders.

Crime detection in the eastern area of the county has also peaked at 34.7 per cent.

Chief Superintendent Martin Jelley, eastern area commander, said: “The position we find ourselves in is not down to a single strategy, but a very firm focus on the active targeting of persistent criminals who commit the vast majority of crime has impacted both through regular policing activity and the huge success of partnership initiatives such as prolific and priority offenders scheme.

“Offenders on the scheme have been sentenced to a total of more than 25 years in prison in the past year but 20 people have been discharged from the scheme and the re-offending rate for those has been very low.”

February's figures build on the reductions in crime seen in the eastern area over the past two years.