POLICE are winning the war against burglars in Dewsbury.

The latest statistics, which cover last month, have recorded the lowest figures the division has ever seen for house burglaries.

The number of break-ins last month was 64, compared to 176 in November last year.

Pc Colin Whiteley, divisional crime prevention officer, said that during the last 12 months, the division had seen a 50% reduction in house burglaries.

The tally has gone down from 1,434 to 716.

Commercial burglaries have also dropped from 561 to 299, a reduction of 262 offences.

Pc Whiteley added: "There are a number of things that can be attributed to these achievements.

"We work alongside partner agencies to deal with the problem, a multi-agency task force shares information, which helps in identifying and targeting prolific and potential offenders at an early stage.

"There is also an excellent forensic back-up team and closer links within the criminal justice support system allows for fast tracking of offenders."