The latest police statistics show that while the crime rate generally fell in the Marlborough area the number of offences of violence against the person were almost up on the same period last year.

Sgt Vincent Logue told the town council last night that the number of this type of offence rose from 68 to 89 although the new senior officer for the area, Insp Matthew Armstrong, emphasised that the Marlborough area continued to be one of the safest places to live in the country.

Questioned by former mayor Coun Alexander Kirk Wilson about where in the area crimes were being committed Sgt Logue said: “When we last discussed this they were not taking place in the High Street but mainly in outlying areas.

“The High Street is not a serious crime area.”

High Street jeweller David Dudley, who attended the meeting but was not invited to speak, called out: “I disagree.”

Insp Armstrong said: “This is still a low crime area compared with some other areas.”

Sgt Logue, presenting the latest crime figures for the Marlborough community area that includes Ramsbury, Avebury and Aldbourne, said: “Detection rates in all but two categories have increased, vehicle crime detections have remained static and detections in crime against the person has seen a small decrease from 54 per cent to 49 per cent but this is still a very good detection rate.

“Sadly we have seen a rise in violence against the person up by 31per cent or approximately two extra assaults per month.

“Vehicle crime instances have risen by two per cent over the year mostly due to cars being broken into at beauty spots despite the enormous efforts of the neighbourhood policing team and partners to combat this.

“It seems the message not to leave valuables in cars is still not being received by some motorists.”

The number of incidents of criminal damage and arson was a quarter down on last year (110 incidents compared with 146 last year) while the detection rate for these had more than doubled to 31 per cent, Sgt Logue told councillors, adding there had been a 12 per cent drop in incidents of anti social behaviour.