West Mercia Police force has one of the lowest gun crime rates in the country
The police force that covers Shropshire has one of the lowest gun crime rates in the country, new figures have revealed.
West Mercia Police recorded 42 firearms incidents last year, a rate of three gun crimes per 100,000 people. The number of incidents is down from 128 in 2007/08.
Neighbouring West Midlands Police have the highest gun crime rate in England and Wales with 540 firearm offences dealt with by the force.
The West Midlands now has a rate of 19.4, meaning one in nine incidents of gun crime in England and Wales took place in the force area last year.
Nationally there were 4,801 gun crimes – a five per cent drop in the past 12 months.
Deputy Chief Constable Dave Thompson, from the Association of Chief Police Officers, said:
"I want to reassure the public that there is a lot of hard work going on to remove the threat of firearms in our towns and cities."
