The retiring chief constable of Thames Valley Police has said he hopes to be remembered for making the region a safer area and for his innovative policing methods.

Sir Charles Pollard, 57, steps down today after 11 years at the helm of the largest non-metropolitan force in the country.

He has presided over significant falls in recorded crime, particularly burglaries and vehicle crime, since he took over the post in January 1991.

The father-of-three has also pioneered methods of predicting future crime patterns and attempting to solve issues before they become inflamed.

He was responsible for introducing the restorative justice programme, where offenders confront their victims.

Sir Charles said: "Over the last eight years, recorded crime has fallen by 22 per cent. Burglary of peoples' homes has nearly halved across the Thames Valley and, in Oxford particularly, burglary and car crime have both fallen.

"I hope that people see that the way we police the Thames Valley is different from a lot of other forces.

"Rather than waiting for crime to happen, we try to identify patterns to find out what is causing them and stop it happening in the future."

He is confident he leaves behind him a force which is overcoming its traditional problems of hanging on to experienced officers.

He said: "We are recruiting in large numbers, but the problem is experienced officers have been leaving to go to other areas of the country where their money goes further.

"But there is every sign that this is starting to be solved."

Sir Charles will be succeeded by Peter Neyroud, who joins the force from West Mercia, where he was deputy chief constable.