Car thefts have been cut by 40 per cent in just one year.

Police and politicians are giving community support officers (PCSOs) much of the credit for dramatic reductions across the county.

Figures obtained by The Argus reveal officers received 857 reports of car theft between January and March this year, down from 1,421 in 2004.

The number of thefts from vehicles also fell by 16 per cent, from 2,972 to 2,483.

The figures show car theft fell in all 16 of the districts covered by Sussex Police.

Among the most improved districts were Adur and Eastbourne - both of which saw falls of 66 per cent - Lewes, 49 per cent, and Brighton West, 48 per cent.

Inspector Julie Wakeford, who works on the neighbourhood policing team in Hove, said: "There are 12 community support officers on the streets of Hove now, eight more than we had this time last year.

"That's a huge increase in the police's visible presence, which cuts crime and makes people feel a lot safer.

"We are also targeting known offenders and clamping down on crime hot spots. When there is a spate of crime in an area, we flood the area with posters warning residents of the dangers and how to protect their cars. Public awareness is much higher now."

Sussex has more than 200 PCSOs, the highest number of any force outside London.

They have been welcomed by most officers but some fear the Government is slowly increasing their range of activities to get policing on the cheap.

They currently provide public reassurance, act as eyes and ears for police and tackle low-level antisocial behaviour.

Geoff Williams, Assistant Chief Constable of Sussex Police, said PCSOs were part of a range of measures put in place recently to combat vehicle crime.

He said: "Sussex is already a low crime area and this excellent news shows how the police and our crime and disorder partners are continuing to make Sussex safer.

"We would attribute the success to the targeting of persistent offenders, increased police and warden patrols in problem areas and partnership approaches to improving lighting and car park security."

Ivor Caplin, retiring MP for Hove, said the Government deserved credit for their policies on tackling crime.

He said: "This news reflects the excellent work the police have done in dealing with car crime and reflects on the Labour Government's whole approach to fighting crime - putting more policemen on the streets and making use of new technology."