Police said the figures proved Surrey remained the safest county in England.

The results, for the period October to December 2003, showed 138 robberies took place in the county, compared to 188 in the same period in 2002.

Violent crime in England and Wales rose by 11%, but only by 2.5% in Surrey, and the force said Surrey had less violent crime per person than any other county.

Surrey crime figures Robbery - down 27% Burglary - down 18% Violent crime - up 2.5% Vehicle crime - up less than 1% Overall crime rate - up 8% Figures for October to December 2003, from Surrey Police

The 27% fall in robberies in Surrey compared to a national fall of 7%.

Domestic burglaries dropped by 18% from 1,141 in October to December 2002 to 935 in the same months in 2003.

Overall crime rose by 8% to 18,058 offences during the three months, an increase of 1,381, which the force attributed largely to a rise in reports of criminal damage.

Deputy Chief Constable Bob Quick said: "We are determined to be constantly vigilant and continue to focus on intelligence-led policing, targeting persistent offenders and forming effective local partnerships to keep Surrey as one of the safest places in the country."