Attacks on hospital staff are falling, according to a new report.

There were 80 reported cases of physical assaults on staff at Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust between April 1, 2005, and March 31 this year.

This is a drop from the previous year's total of 125.

The numbers of verbal assaults and threatening behaviour fell from 1,020 to 707.

Most assaults took place at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton where 425 workers were physically attacked or abused. At the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath 245 incidents were reported.

Although there has been a significant overall drop in assaults, this is partly due to wards at Brighton General Hospital previously run by the trust being transferred to the ownership of South Downs Health NHS Trust.

Hospital trust board members were told at a meeting yesterday that although there had been improvements there was still plenty of work to be done.

The annual security report presented to the board highlighted the need for more staff to get basic training about how to deal with potentially volatile incidents.

Incidents over the year which have led to prosecutions include drunk and disorderly behaviour, racially aggravated harassment, theft of flat-screen monitors, assault and criminal damage.

The report also revealed more than £475,000 has been spent on improving security in the last year, including a new control room at the Royal Sussex and extra CCTV and video-entry systems at the Princess Royal.

The number of burglaries fell from 21 to 18 and the number of losses of NHS property dropped from 60 to 31.

Trust director of facilities Lee Soden said: "The police are taking an active interest in prosecutions which is helping us and is very welcome.

"The level of assaults may be down but there is still a long way to go and a lot more investment is needed."