TWENTY serious crimes committed in St George's have been solved as part of a pioneering project between residents and police.

The Urban Safety Initiative was launched after figures showed there were high levels of arson, criminal damage and burglary in the area.

The project, which is the first of its kind in Redditch, has been so successful that crime in St George's has fallen by more than 30 per cent in just a few months.

Shopkeepers, residents, schools and the church were drafted in to help and targets were set through regular meetings.

Through the group, police drop-in surgeries and foot patrols, vital information was shared and those responsible for many of the crimes were identified and dealt with.

Pc Robin White said there was a group of youngsters aged between nine and 12 who had been responsible for criminal damage, setting fire to skips, damage to property, attacks on buses and burglaries at the church.

The bus attacks were highlighted by the Redditch Advertiser in October. Two elderly women were taken to hospital with cuts after bricks were hurled through bus windows in separate incidents.

Pc White said the project would continue.