WEST Mercia police have been identified as one of the best performing forces in England and Wales, thanks to a string of successes that have been highlighted in the authority's yearly review.

It has achieved a 9.9 per cent reduction in total recorded crime for the year ending March 2006 (88,319 incidents down from 94,711 the previous year).

There was also a 21.7 per cent fall in domestic burglaries (3,738 down from 4,774), a 12.8 per cent reduction in violent crimes (17,170 from 19,681) and a 10.7 per cent fall in vehicle crimes (9,753 from 10,927).

Sanction detection rates - the percentage of crimes for which someone is charged, receives a caution or other formal sanction - have increased in these areas, by five per cent for the total recorded crime.

The figure for domestic burglary detection rates is also five per cent; nine per cent for solving violent crimes and 3.5 per cent for vehicle crimes.

The force, which has its headquarters at Hindlip, near Worcester and covers Worcestershire and Here-fordshire, as well as Telford, the Wrekin and Shropshire, has also been credited with having a strong value-for-money ethos. This is highlighted in the report to West Mercia Police Authority treasurer Mike Weaver and due taudit committee meeting at the Hindlip Hall headquarters today.

An analysis of day-to-day expenditure highlights that 59 per cent of its revenue budget was spent promoting public safety, 31 per cent on investigating crime, six per cent reducing crime and four per cent on assistance to the public.

Of its capital expenditure on long-term commitments, £3.1m was spent on building works, £2.4m on information technology and communication equipment, £1.4m on vehicles and £0.4m on other equipment.

The report also highlights how West Mercia police was rated - either good or excellent in all aspects - following three independent assessments The report reads: "These achievements have been given more prominence in 2005/2006 because the authority and the constabulary have been obliged to consider the Home Secretary's proposals for a merger of the forces in the West Midlands region into a large single force."

Last week, the Worcester News reported how West Mercia was about to present the Government with a £89,000 bill for money spent on its aborted merger with the Staffordshire, Warwick-shire and West Midlands forces.

It said the money was spent on providing the Home Office with reports, responding to requests for information and fighting a campaign against the merger. The money wheich had been incurred had come from the force's personnel and administrative budget.