by Adam Williams

Crime across Canterbury and Thanet fell last year by around nine per cent.

East Kent experienced a drop in 1,934 recorded crimes, between April 2009 and March 2010, compared with the previous year. But drug offences (up 15 per cent), burglary from dwellings (up 10.7 per cent) and theft from the person (up 7.8 per cent) were the main areas bucking the trend.

Violent crime, including sexual offences and robbery, dropped by 15.7 per cent, fraud and forgery was down 16.4 per cent and violence against the person decreased by 15.9 per cent.

A similar story across Mid Kent, which includes Faversham and surrounding villages, where crime fell by 9.5 per cent.

But, despite strong falls in robbery, violent crime and criminal damage, burglary was up by more than 11 per cent. Meanwhile, drug offences increased by 6.2 per cent and serious sexual offences were up by 26 crimes.

Mid Kent recorded 59 crimes involving a knife or sharp instrument, compared to 68 in the previous 12 months (a fall of 13.2 per cent). Thirty-nine of those offences were for actual bodily harm or grievous bodily harm. Two were for murder, in both cases the offenders were successfully tried and convicted.

Gun crime remained static at 9 offences in both 2008 and 2009.

Read more reaction in this week's Kentish Gazette and Faversham News.