NEARLY all Ryedale residents consider it to be a safe place to live, a survey has found.

Of the 620 residents questioned by Safer Ryedale, 98 per cent thought it was a safe place to live and 95 per cent of people felt that the crime level in Ryedale was low or fairly low compared with national crime levels.

Top concerns were speeding motorists and dog fouling, with 55.7 per cent and 42 per cent of respondents repectively saying this was an issue for them followed by 33.57 per cent being concerned about traffic parking.

North Yorkshire Police, Street Scene and Safer Ryedale vowed to continue to crack down on people who allow their dogs to foul on footpaths by issuing fixed penalty notices.

Insp Andy Everitt, Ryedale Head of Police, said: “We are determined to maintain Ryedale as one of the lowest crime areas in the country and will continue to rigorously pursue those persons who seek to commit crime and antisocial behaviour in our communities.”