New statistics released by Thames Valley Police show officers in Oxford are continuing to make substantial inroads into tackling crime in the city.

Detection rates between April and June are the second highest in the force at 33.1 per cent, topped only by south Oxfordshire at 35.1 per cent.

And vehicle crime is down 17 per cent in the city - well ahead of the force target of a 7.9 per cent drop.

The number of commercial robberies in Oxford has remained unchanged since this time last year, bucking a trend which has seen reports of the crime across the Thames Valley region soar by 106, to 601.

The city is also celebrating a 23 per cent drop in recorded robberies of personal property.

Oxford area commander Supt David McWhirter said he was pleased with the figures, but that they needed to be put in context.

He said: "A tremendous effort has gone on in the background over the past 18 months and the result is this improvement in figures.

"Here we are now seeing the results of that hard work by officers and staff here in Oxford.

"That work will continue and I hope so will the results."

He said a dedicated team had managed to make excellent inroads into tackling burglaries in Oxford.

"The city does have a major problem with burglary, which can be directly linked with drug-related crimes in many instances.

"That is something we are working extremely hard to tackle.

"I welcome these statistics and as an area we must be held accountable, be as open as possible and through these figures we can be."