POLICE say crime in Calne has dropped this year, but they will not be easing up on their efforts.

The total number of crimes in February, March and the first two weeks of April was 147 last year but has dropped to 111 this year.

"We will not rest on our laurels, but continue to work hard," said Sgt Richard Ball.

He says officers will combat crime by gathering intelligence and targeting suspects. He added that drug dealers in Calne will find police continuing to make a nuisance of themselves.

Sgt Ball says the drop is down to a number of factors. The first is that several of Calne's more prolific criminals have been put behind bars.

The second reason is that some criminals have moved away and a third is that there has been a more visible police presence on the streets.

There were major decreases in the number of violent crimes and the number of burglaries. Violent crimes dropped from 21 to seven and burglaries were down from 28 to 13.

Sgt Ball forecast an increase in burglary over the summer as people leave garden tools where thieves can get at them and he encouraged people to secure their garden belongings properly.