HOME Office crime statistics showing West Devon is the second safest area in the country have been hailed as "fantastic' news.
The figures show that during 2001/2002 West Devon had the lowest recorded crime per 1,000 population in the South West region — made up of 45 local authorities.
Nationally, taking in all 376 local authorities in England and Wales, the borough was ranked as the second safest area. Teesdale in County Durham was deemed the safest.
Mayor of West Devon Cllr Richard Phillips said the Home Office figures were 'fantastic' news.
'West Devon Borough Council has worked with the police and other authorities to achieve a safe place for people to live.
'It does feel safe walking around, but it doesn't mean to say we stop working to make it even safer here,' he said.
Cllr Phillips said the figures demonstrated partnership could work. He said members of the Community Safety Partnership — made up of councils and other agencies which work together on initiatives to improve the safety of the area — had worked extremely hard to achieve the success.
West Devon and Torridge MP John Burnett said: 'Prevention is always better than cure, and it's a credit to the police and also to the public generally who take steps to ensure that they minimise the opportunities for crime.'
Mr Burnett said the figures 'vindicated the partnership approach' but he warned West Devon residents: 'There is never any reason for complacency.'
Crime reduction Sgt Dave Anning said the police were very pleased with the figures, but were not complacent about the challenges of policing a geographically large area with isolated villages.
'There are villages out there that are virtually crime-free,' said Sgt Anning, but he said many people still lived with a fear of violent crime.
'People's perceptions of crime are mainly brought into their homes through their televisions, but assaults in the street are very rare in West Devon. There's a big difference between what people think the threats are, and what they actually are.'