Crime levels have dropped and the number of offences solved has gone up in Kent, according to the lastest Home Office figures.

Drug related crimes were the only ones to increase - and police said that was in line with the national trend.

All crime dropped by more than 17 per cent and violent crime was down 14.5 per cent in the October to December period last year compared to the same period in 2006.

The Kent force's detection rate was up just over three per cent to 28.8 per cent on the same period in 2006.

Assistant chief constable Steve Harris said: "The latest figures show that we have seen significant improvement in almost all crime categories, detection rates and public confidence."

There were 135 more drugs offences (up 18 per cent to 883). There was also an increase in the number of offences recorded for trafficking controlled drugs and warnings issued by police about cannabis also increased.

Criminal damage was down by 1,737 offences -a drop of 18.4 per cent. Burglary dropped by 495 crimes to 1,424 offences, a reduction of more than a quarter.

Police said this meant that in the last 10 years house burglary has dropped by half.

Vehicle crime across Kent also fell by nearly 26 per cent to 1,356 offences.

~ For more on crime figures, see next Thursday's Kentish Express