BURGLARY victims have praised Bury police for their "first-rate" customer service.

In a Greater Manchester Police survey conducted force-wide, the N division, for the Bury borough, 97.1 per cent of victims of house burglaries interviewed were "satisfied overall with the service provided on initial attendance at their burglary". This was higher than the force result of 94.4 per cent.

And 90.3 per cent of those who responded to the survey said they were attended to either promptly or after an "acceptable delay", which compares to a figure of 87. 9 per cent force-wide.

Bury police also did marginally better in giving crime-prevention advice and support than their colleagues in other divisions.

Divisional commander Chief Superintendent Phil Hollowood told the Bury Times: "I am delighted this survey shows that Bury police give their victims first-rate help and support.

"Being a victim of burglary is very upsetting and providing help and advice and support to people is just as important to us to as the operational side of policing.

"In fact, the survey quotes from letters we have received praising individual officers."

Ch Supt Hollowood said his officers worked very closely with the HomeWatch Scheme and the independent victim support agency.

"The survey did show only 60 per cent of those people interviewed were given crime-prevention advice. I believe more people were actually given such advice, but because of their state of mind following the burglary, they might not have taken it in.

"Nevertheless, this is an area where we would like to reach 100 per cent."