Burglary offences have plummeted by more than a quarter during the last year in Oxford.

Oxford police said house and flat break-ins were down 28 per cent on the 2003-04 financial year, when the city saw a five per cent increase.

During the last two weeks 44 people were arrested by police during a clampdown codenamed Operation Boudicca.

Officers are targeting burglary suspects in east Oxford, the city centre, north Oxford and Headington.

A total of 296 people have so far been spoken to during stop-checks.

Police have also tried to disrupt the link between drugs and crime. Among those arrested was an alleged drug dealer, aged 28, who has been charged with two counts of possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply.

Det Sgt Vince Gilio, of Oxford police's burglary team, said: "Burglary is a horrendous invasion of a person's or a family's life -- and is a priority crime for us."

He said Oxford police owed their success in reducing burglary to good intelligence. Once an offence was committed, police looked to match the offence with the most likely known burglar -- and to question that person.

Where there is enough evidence to charge, officers attempt to have burglars remanded in custody to prevent crime sprees continuing.

Police also provide offenders with support to get them off Class A drugs. They also ask burglars if they want any previously unsolved offences to be "taken into consideration".

From April 1 to the end of February this year, there were 914 dwelling burglaries in Oxford.

This compares with 1,268 from April 1, 2003, to the end of February, 2004.

Oxford police area commander Supt Paul Sullivan said: "I'm delighted with the progress we have made this year in terms of both reducing the numbers of burglaries across the city and in putting before the courts an increasing number of offenders."

Police recovered a large haul of suspected stolen property from a house in Blackbird Leys on Monday afternoon.

Dc Jeff Capstick, of Oxford police's burglary team, said a number of bicycles and tools had been recovered.

A 15-year-old youth has been arrested and bailed.