LATEST figures show police-recorded crimes have fallen by nine per cent since last year in the Scottish Borders.

The stats come as the Scottish Government revealed reported crime is at a 42 year low across Scotland after it fell by four per cent.

The report revealed that 2,916 crimes were recorded by police in the Borders in 2015-16, as opposed to 3,189 the year before.

There was also a 21 per cent decrease in 'crimes of dishonesty' which include shoplifting and fraud, helping to achieve a nine per cent national fall.

Deputy Chief Constable Iain Livingstone, of Police Scotland said: "The overall recorded crime picture remains largely positive with a 4 per cent fall in overall recorded crime across our communities. 

"This coupled with an increase in the detection rate of 1.2 per cent reflects the hard work carried out by police officers and police staff throughout the country," he added.

"The recorded crime statistics are an important barometer on the level of service that the public get from Police Scotland, but they are only part of the picture.

"On a daily basis officers and staff provide help, advice and assistance on many different subjects ranging from anti-social behaviour, missing persons and mental health issues.

"In addition, we are developing a better understanding of the demands on modern policing in relation to issues such as cybercrime and online child exploitation which will be a focus for us in the future.

"Police Scotland will continue to engage with the public to identify issues in local communities across Scotland that will direct and inform the shape of policing for the future."

In fact the number of crimes recorded by police in the region have almost halved since 2006-07, coming down from 5,402 to 2,916.

However the number of sexual crimes recorded by police in the Borders have risen by four per cent since last year, from 129 to 134.

Commenting on the rise, Deputy Chief Constable Iain Livingstone added: "The increase in the report of sexual crime is in part a reflection of the increased level of confidence the public has in reporting this type of crime to the police with the knowledge that every complaint will be handled sensitively and professionally. This equally applies to reports of historical abuse.

"We recognise the increase in crimes of violence and although this remains low in a historical context, we continue to work with partners in communities to tackle violence and address the influence that alcohol plays in many of these crimes."