Recorded crime levels in the Sidmouth area dropped to their lowest point in almost three years between October 2021 and March 2022, according to police data.

The last three months of 2021 saw 137 crimes recorded, as did the first three months of 2022.

This is down from last summer, with 208 from July to September last year, and 196 from April to June.

Crime levels in Sidmouth over the past three years from July 2019 to March 2022, according to data from police.uk (Nub News, Will Goddard)

The boundaries for the data include Sidmouth, Sidford, Sidbury, Newton Poppleford, Salcombe Regis, Harcombe, and surrounding countryside in the Sid Valley.

Asked why the numbers have fallen, Inspector Phil Gray of Devon and Cornwall Police said that he could not attribute it to anything in particular, but highlighted that Sidmouth is susceptible to such fluctuation due to its low crime levels in general, and also that seasonal variation and the impact of the pandemic may have contributed to the reduction.

He said: "It's good news for Sidmouth: crime remains relatively low.

"We've got two great officers out there, really keen officers and a PCSO who do a great job."

He also said that Sidmouth's crime rate is roughly half of the force rate across Devon and Cornwall.

The most prevalent form of crime in Sidmouth over the past three years (from June 2019 to April 2022) has been anti-social behaviour, with 699 incidents. The next most common are violence and sexual offences with 624.