The amount of violent crime and public order offences in Lincolnshire has dropped by almost a fifth.

The county has also done better than the national average, according to the latest figures released by the Office for National Statistics.

The figures, covering the 12-month period to March 2021, showed that total recorded crime in Lincolnshire fell by 18%. The national trend was a 13% decrease, compared to the 12 months prior.

This ranks Lincolnshire as the 16th safest county in England and Wales.

The data also showed positive changes in several other areas, including violence against the person (a 12% decrease against 0% nationally), violence without injury (31% decrease locally, 7% decrease nationally), sexual offences (23% decrease locally, 9% decrease nationally), and public order offences (12% decrease locally, 5% increase nationally).

Deputy Chief Constable Jason Harwin said: "These are encouraging figures which show decreases in violent crime and sexual offences, crimes all falling faster than the national average.

"We have strong teams that are working hard to prosecute offenders and prevent them from inflicting further harm on communities across the county, and it remains our goal to ensure that Lincolnshire is the safest place in the country to live, work and visit.

"The figures cover a period that saw various Covid restrictions and lockdowns, and these will have had an impact on crime levels.

"In line with many Forces, we have been seeing a rise in reported incidents and we have prepared extensively for a busy summer.

"While restrictions have been removed I'd urge everyone to use common sense and display caution to make sure that we all enjoy a really safe summer.

"We know that more cars will be on our roads and more venues will be open, so please be responsible now that we are out of lockdown."