Surrey 'safest county in country'

People in Surrey are the least likely to be victims of serious violent crime in England or Wales, according to new figures released on Thursday.

The number of serious violent crimes between April and December 2004 was 208, 35% lower than the number for any other police force area.

But reported violent crime in the county rose by 11.8% to 9,341 offences.

The figures were released as Surrey officers hunted for a man who stabbed a young woman out walking her son.

Gun crime down

Overall crime in Surrey fell by 2.1% compared with the same period in 2003, with 53,882 recorded offences in the county between April and December 2004, compared to 55,039 for April to December 2003.

Burglaries fell by 5.1% to 6,781, while thefts of and from motor vehicles dropped by 3.7% to 7,006.

Robbery in the county fell by 27.7% to 332 recorded offences and the number of gun crimes, excluding those involving air weapons, dropped by 55% - from 88 to 40.

The number of serious violent offences against the person fell from 303 to 208 - a drop of 38%.

'Increased police presence'

The one area where crime figures, published on Thursday, showed an increase was violent crime, with an 11.8% rise from 8,357 offences to 9,341.

But Surrey Police said it did not necessarily mean a rise in violent crime, claiming the figures could be affected by the fact a greater number of "minor" offences such as harassment and common assault, which are classed as violent crime, were being dealt with as a result of increased police presence in town centres on Friday and Saturday nights.

Assistant Chief Constable Mark Rowley said: "Surrey continues to maintain a level of crime per head of population that is 40% below the national average."

On Wednesday, the day before the figures were released, a 26-year-old teacher was stabbed in the neck as she walked her 21-month-old son in his pushchair in Little Bookham, Surrey.