CRIME in the Cowley area of Oxford has dropped by almost a third, according to new police figures.

Statistics comparing the three months between October and December 2007 to the same period the previous year showed there were more than 100 fewer incidents, while violent crime had dropped by almost 20 per cent.

Residents and publicans in the area welcomed the news - and said they had noticed the difference.

Barbara Greenwood, 73, of Normandy Crescent, said: "We've definitely noticed it and we feel it's a lot safer.

"We've seen more police and PCSOs around and I think that's helped."

Colin Joyce, who has been running the Shelley Arms pub, in Cricket Road, for 21 years, praised the way the area has been policed.

He said: "I've seen more community police officers and I've also seen more police officers on push bikes, which I think could have made a difference.

"My area has changed from a big family area to bedsit land, but I must admit it's a lot better around here than it was five years ago, so they must have done something."

Vehicle crime fell by just over 58 per cent, from 96 to 40 over the three months, while violent crime dropped from 96 to 77 - although the drop was in less serious common assaults rather than actual and grievous bodily harm, which remained the same.

Antisocial behaviour also fell, with incidents of neighbours causing a nuisance dropping nearly 46 per cent and rowdy behaviour falling from 125 to 91 incidents.

Don Critten, landlord of the Original Swan, in Oxford Road, said: "It's a lot to do with the community policemen and the police themselves. They're doing what they should be doing and they've got their act together.

"You hear all the bad stuff with people saying Cowley's a den of iniquity, but it's nice to get something positive and it means that what the police are doing is working."

Insp Graham Sutherland of Cowley police said: "In the main I believe it (the drop) is down to good supervision by the PCSOs and a wider spread of them reacting to community intelligence, particularly around drinking in the parks and when antisocial behaviour is reported."

He said his officers had been responding straight away to any intelligence received.

Mr Sutherland added: "It's just now a matter of trying to keep it there and keep driving it down further."

The only area that rose was theft from a person - up 83 per cent from six to 11.

He said: "What we are hoping to do is raise awareness of these issues and try and get them ironed out, with better vigilance of staff in pubs and restaurants and identifying the people responsible.

"With the lighter nights we need to be vigilant with people drinking in the parks, which is always a problem, and we'll be focusing on that."