WYTHALL residents have been given a pat on the back by police after an "outstanding" year that saw a fall in crime.

The statistics, published in a recent issue of internal police magazine Force, revealed total recorded crime in Wythall dropped by 16 per cent between April 2004 and March 2005.

Violent crime fell 18 per cent, domestic burglary dropped by 11 per cent and there was a 28 per cent reduction in vehicle crime.

Wythall beat manager Pc Mark Townsend said these figures compared well to recently published statistics for the West Mercia force area, with the exception of burglary which fell by 19 per cent overall.

He told residents and councillors at a recent Wythall Parish Council meeting that while he was delighted by the "outstanding" results, village officers would not be taking the credit.

He said: "This is a huge pat on the back for Wythall's schools, the parish council, district and county councils and residents, who have all helped us to achieve this - without this help we wouldn't have been able to."

Pc Townsend said police had finally "got a grip" on antisocial behaviour in the village by introducing new dispersal orders for gangs of youths.

He added police would be looking to renew the Section 30 Order, which grants police the powers to disperse loitering groups and escort youngsters home.