SNOW is keeping criminals at bay this Christmas, with snow and sub-zero temperatures leading to a dip in crime.

New police figures show serious acquisitive crime, which includes burglary, robbery and autocrime, has fallen since the snow hit the county at the weekend.

Between Saturday and Tuesday, the number of reported incidents dropped by about a third in Oxford city, to 18, compared to 28 in the same period last year. In the Vale of White Horse, seven crimes were logged compared to 15 last year, while in west Oxfordshire, it dropped from five to no incidents at all.

Vale police commander Ch Insp Andy Boyd said: “Because people are staying at home, it reduces the opportunity for burglary. People aren’t taking their cars out so it reduces the opportunity for vehicle crime.

“Also, many people who commit crime are also feeling the effects of the cold weather and staying at home.”

He said drug addicts were probably committing the few crimes that were being reported, but opportunist crime had dropped.

Supt Chris Sharp, in charge of policing in South Oxfordshire, had also noticed a drop.

The number of serious thefts and burglaries logged in the district dropped from 10 in the four day period last year compared to seven this year.

He said: “It tends to be just the hardened criminals that come out and commit crime in the snow.

“But fresh snow tends to help us identify foot prints and entry points.”

The only district where crime has remained the same is Cherwell, where seven crimes were reported – the same as last year.

* Christmas Eve carols in Deddington’s Market Square have been cancelled because of the snow.