Crime in Beer and Branscombe reached record low levels in 2011 with nine months seeing no crime at all in the villages.

Figures from Devon and Cornwall Police show both villages had the fewest recorded crimes since 2004, and achieved significant falls from 2010.

In Beer there were 27 reported crimes compared to 38 the previous year, a decrease of 29 per cent, and less than half the number recorded in 2005.

June was the busiest month with nine incidents, three of which were theft from motor vehicles, but in February, August and October there were no reported crimes.

In neighbouring Branscombe there were 12 reported crimes compared to 15 in 2010, a decrease of 20 per cent, and less than a third of the figure for 2004.

There were no crimes at all in the first three months of 2011, and the village was crime free in July, November and December as well.

The two villages bucked the trend in the area, with crime rising in other parishes in the Seaton Rural patch in 2011, such as Axmouth, Colyton, Southleigh, Combpyne and Rousdon.

Farway also saw a reduction in reported crime, and Northleigh saw no incidents at all in 2011, and hasn’t done since September 2009.

In the whole Seaton Rural area crime levels were exactly the same, with 138 incidents reported in 2010 and 2011, after a big drop from almost 200 in 2009.

In the last eight years the figures have almost halved, with 100 crimes less than the peak in 2004.

Neighbourhood beat manager PC Steve Speariett said: “We have seen a steady decline in crime since 2004 which is good news for the communities we serve.”

He wanted to thank the community and partners for their support, and added: “2012 will be a challenging year with financial cuts in the public sector but the Neighbourhood Team, Officers and staff at Seaton Police Station will endeavour to provide the best possible service to you, the community we serve.”