Gun crime in Sussex fell more than 19 per cent in the past year.

Sussex Police said they were pleased with the figures, but promised more action to combat this category of crime was in the pipeline.

There is also a campaign being readied to tackle street thugs in the run-up to Christmas.

Figures out today show in the 12 months to June there were 89 recorded firearms offences in Sussex, compared with 110 in the previous year.

None of the incidents resulted in fatal injury.

A Sussex Police spokesman said the figures were encouraging but added: "One firearms offence is one too many and we will continue to strive to bring the figures down."

The number of crimes detected in Sussex rose 4,700 or 16 per cent and the overall detection rate climbed to more than 24 per cent.

The figures coincided with the release of the last quarter crime figures for England and Wales. Crime fell seven per cent, according to the British Crime Survey, and five per cent, according to police-recorded crime, compared with the same quarter last year.

The risk of being a victim of crime is the lowest since the survey began in 1981.

The figures continue the trend of significant falls in vehicle thefts, burglary and robbery.

Violent crime fell by six per cent and violence involving any injury dropped by 12 per cent.

Police-recorded violent crime increased by 11 per cent, although much of this was due to increased reporting and recording of low-level thuggery, which increased by 14 per cent, more willingness to report sex offences and the effect of new sex offence laws coming into force in May.

About half of all violent crimes did not involve injury to the victim.

The spokesman said: "The latest crime figures again demonstrate the success of the police service and our partners in reducing volume crime such as burglary, robbery and vehicle crime.

"This has been achieved by a continued focus on crimes directly affecting our communities and those prolific and priority offenders causing them.

"It is very pleasing to see the risk of being a victim of crime is lower than 23 years ago when the first British Crime Survey began. However, we are not complacent."