CRIME figures for the Wellington area plunged in June, a police spokesman said last night.

John Swain, standing in for Sgt Stuart Bell, based at Wellington police station, told a meeting of Wellington town council that there had been just 18 recorded crimes for the whole of July, compared with a total of 44 in June.

He said criminals had targeted garages and sheds, taking garden machinery inmcluding chain saws and strimmers, and he urged owners to indelibly mark property with their post code to deter thieves.