CHESHIRE police have hit back at the findings of the survey by George Osbourne which revealed people thought crime is a bigger problem now than it was five years ago.

Superintendent Tim Jackson of Congleton and Vale Royal police said: 'Whilst we are always keen to hear about any policing concerns the public may have, this may not have been the most effective way of collating information from the public.

'It's difficult to know exactly how those who failed to reply to Mr Osborne's survey feel about the quality of the policing in their area, and the fact that a relatively small amount of the population replied makes its credibility as a survey questionable.

'The Tatton constituency, which Mr Osbourne represents, covers only a relatively small part of Vale Royal, and from our point of view, it might have been more productive if the questions posed had allowed for more discussion about the issues raised, instead of producing a yes or no answer.

'We run a series of policing forums across the division, to give people a chance to voice their concerns about policing matters.'

Supt Jackson highlighted the level of recorded crimes as well as a number of schemes the police have carried out over the past year to help tackle crime in the Northwich.

'Although levels of recorded crime went up last year, due to changes in recording rules, area officers actually arrested more people and detected more crimes than in previous years.'

He went on to mention the work of Operation Clean Sweep - an initiative to disrupt the supply of class A drugs in Northwich and Winsford - and Operation Nightlife, which focused police resources on areas of drunken and anti-social behaviour. The work of the newly established Community Action Team in Northwich East along with the two teams which already exist in the borough is also helping to crackdown on crime, he said.

Mr Jackson said the police are doing all they can so that people in Vale Royal feel safer and added: 'Vale Royal remains one of the safest places in the country to live and work. I am committed, as are all my colleagues here in Vale Royal, to doing all that we can to make the communities we serve not only safer but feel safer. As someone who not only works in the community but lives here as well I have a vested interest in this.'