Police say "Watford is a safe place" after recent figures revealed the town's crime hotspots.

The data, which covers a period from September 2015 until August this year, shows the area around St Mary’s View was most prone to crime, with 506 incidents - including 22 of anti-social behaviour which are not strictly considered crimes - reported “on or near” the road in this time.

READ MORE: Watford's most crime-ridden streets revealed

Of those, violent or sexual assaults, which can include domestic abuse, made up more than a quarter of incidents.

“Other thefts” were reported 78 times, while instances of shoplifting were investigated 75 times.

Theft from a person was also recorded a worrying 58 times, while public order offences made up a further 41 cases.

It is important to stress that, due to the nature of the logging system, incidents are ascribed to “snap points” so that the victims cannot be easily identified.

This means that raw data can make it appear that certain residential roads are drowning under a deluge of criminal activity.

However Watford Chief Inspector Paul Sandwell said this was not the case.

“Unfortunately a list of this nature is misleading and will cause unnecessary concern for residents who live in the roads which have been highlighted. It is simply not correct to say that all the crimes have occurred in a particular road,” he said.  

“Watford is a safe place and we will continue to work with our partners to try to cut crime further, by increasing preventative measures and bringing criminals to justice.

“We have already carried out several operations in relation to drug dealing, assaults and anti-social behaviour in the town centre, and will continue to address any issues raised.”

Watford MP Richard Harrington said he was in regular contact with police, particularly about the area near St Mary’s Church after hearing reports of crime and anti-social behaviour in the vicinity.

“The town centre police team have a big job on their hands and I think are doing it well. Overall crime across Herts Constabulary has fallen over the long-term and that does mean that resources can be allocated to hotspots,” he added.

Elected Mayor Dorothy Thornhill said the statistics did not accurately reflect the town she knew, and said Watford had been transformed over recent years from a town which had been plagued by gangs and petty criminals alike into an “example” for others to follow.

“I do not recognise the picture of Watford that has been painted in these figures,” she said.

“We have fought so hard to change the reputation of Watford over the years. We are a town emerging from negativity.

“The fact there is crime and anti-social behaviour is not surprising. What matters to me is how we tackle it and how it impacts on people’s lives.

“We do the right things, get the right people around the table. We are an example to other places.

“London is encroaching in both good ways and bad ways but it is how we deal with it that’s important.”