CRIME in Stonehouse and Nailsworth has dropped significantly according to the latest police figures.

Serious violent crime in the last three months has more than halved compared with the same period last year.

Burglary, drug offences, criminal damage and public disorder complaints have also dropped.

Sergeant Steve Irvin, of Stonehouse police station, said that while it is often claimed that violent crime is increasing, these statistics buck the trend.

"I hope they prove that police action in the area is bringing results," he said.

"These are excellent results for us because historically some offences, such as criminal damage and disorder, rise in the summer.

"Stonehouse and Nailsworth are low crime areas but we are not going to be complacent - we will continue our actions of targeting known hotspots and individuals to make our communities even safer.

"And we welcome information from any member of the community who can give us intelligence leading to the arrest of offenders."

Police have been targeting known hotspots for disorder and criminal damage in three main locations - Nailsworth town centre, the Stanleys and Stonehouse town centre and Park estate.

The Stonehouse Safer Community Team revealed the figures during a recent meeting.

Between July 1 and September 12, serious violent crime was down by 59 per cent, burglary by 20 per cent, drug offences by 75 per cent, criminal damage by nearly 10 per cent, and public disorder by 15 per cent.

Sergeant Irvin urged parents to be vigilant and take more responsibility for their children.

"The underage drinkers who go on to commit offences learn the behaviour from others and often the parents don't know or care where their children are," he said.

"We have girls aged between 13 and 16 collapse in the street or commit offences due to being drunk - they are not aware of the dangers of binge drinking at an early age."