ANTI-SOCIAL behaviour in Tiverton town centre is on the tumble after new figures released, show a fall of over 45% since December 2012.

Figures released by police.uk demonstrate a dramatic fall in anti-social crime - with just 12 reports of anti-social behaviour in December 2013, compared to 22 in December 2012.

Reports of anti-social behaviour are also down 63% since 2010, a fall of 21 incidents.

Inspector Jane Alford-Mole, Acting Inspector for Mid Devon Police, believes the force's more robust approach to town centre crime has contributed the declining numbers. She said: “We have worked closely with our partners at Mid Devon County Council to manage anti-social behaviour and our PCSOs have engaged very well with younger people in the town.

“Being more robust with our policing in the town centre and taking a zero tolerance approach has helped us cut the number of anti-social behaviour related incidents.

“I'm extremely pleased to hear that we are doing what we should be doing for our community - we are there to serve the community.

“We are there to give our retailers and our public a good quality of life and I am really pleased with the figures.

“We worked with our partners to put a section 30 Order in place, but that expired in December and the figures have given us no reason to extend it.”

The Crown Prosecution Service says on its website: “Sections 30-36 of the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 (ASBA) gave police forces in England and Wales new powers to disperse groups of two or more people from areas where there is persistent anti-social behaviour” - and “take home any young person under 16 who is out on the streets in a dispersal zone between 9pm and 6am and not accompanied by a parent or responsible adult.”