HOUSEHOLDERS in Hampshire face the risk of being broken into just once every 287 years, the latest figures reveal.

The number of burglaries in the county have been slashed in the past six months - leaving homeowners at half the risk of a break-in as the rest of the country.

Between April and September this year, the number of burglaries across the county fell by 15 per cent.

The significant drop in break-ins comes as the fight against crime continues to score success with a further drop across the board of two per cent during the same period.

The latest falls continue a trend over the past five years that has seen total crime fall by almost a quarter. But fear of crime remains high throughout the county despite the success in cutting back such offences. The latest figures were unveiled at a high-level meeting of chiefs from the county's constabulary, local authorities, support bodies and various related agencies.

The Winchester conference held by The Hampton Trust was arranged for the agencies to discuss how better to fight the false perceptions of crime in the county.

Hampshire's Assistant Chief Constable (Territorial Operations), Phillip Jacobs, set out the priorities for the force's continued fight - both against crime and to win people's minds.

He said: "Our aim is to make Hampshire and the Isle of Wight a safer place in which to live, in which to grow up and to grow old."

He added: "There are areas of the country where crime is a daily feature of life, but if one links the reality of crime in Hampshire to the fear of crime it is disproportionate.

"It is incumbent on us to get the perception to better match the reality."

Figures show there are 37 crimes committed every day in the county.