Ipswich MP Tom Hunt has praised Suffolk Police for the “exemplary” way its officers have policed lockdown in the town as figures show crime levels have fallen significantly.

Last week saw the publication of crime figures comparing March 2020 with the same month last year. The lockdown came in on March 23. The figures from the website data.police.uk showed there had been a 13% fall in crime overall in Ipswich with less than half the amount of shoplifting than in 2019.

However there had been a small rise in violent and sex offences and a tiny rise in public order offences.

Mr Hunt said: “I know a lot of people were worried that there could be an increase in crime as the police concentrated on enforcing the lockdown, but I am pleased to say that does not appear to have been the case.

“I have told the chief constable and (PCC) Tim Passmore that I think Suffolk has been exemplary in the way the lockdown has been policed.