A drop of almost 600 in the number of victims of crime in Epsom last year has been welcomed by the man responsible for policing the borough's streets.

Epsom and Ewell Neighbourhood Inspector Craig Knight welcomed the 14 per cent drop in crimes, but said he preferred to talk about people rather than statistics.

Antisocial behaviour also fell by 26 per cent, which equates to 700 fewer reported victims, and violence in public places dropped 46 per cent resulting in 273 fewer victims.

Insp Knight said: "I’m utterly delighted we have had many fewer victims of crime this year.

"What I’m keen to do is improve that performance now. I’m pleased with our year but acknowledge there is more to be done."

Insp Knight said he was disappointed to see 17 more victims of burglary, compared to the previous year, with a concentration in the north of the borough.

Despite some significant arrests he said they were not complacent and burglary is their number one priority.

He said they were working hard to tackle burglaries, adding: "I would rather not have any victims in the first place."

Insp Knight said he took crime very personally and cared about the impact crime had on people’s lives.

He said: "We should be talking about people not statistics and numbers. We should be targeting offenders and helping victims instead of patting ourselves on the back for a percentage reduction."

One of their current priorities is vehicle crime, which saw an eight percent reduction last year.

Insp Knight said 80 more drug offences had been recorded over the past year, largely due to the fact police were catching and dealing with more offenders.

There was a 45 per cent reduction in robbery, which meant 25 fewer victims.

The borough also had the largest reduction in Surrey for victims involved in alcohol related incidents, which mirrored a decrease in town centre violence.

Inspector Knight attributed the drop in crime to the efforts of his team and partners plus greater awareness of crime prevention in the community and among manufacturers of locks and cars.

He said: "There is a whole combination of factors and changes in society as well."