The police commander in charge of more than 300 officers in Teignbridge and south Devon has praised his colleagues for reducing crime despite the exceptional demands of the Olympics and diamond jubilee.

Supt Jim Nye, pictured, made the comments this week as life began to return to normal for the first time in months.

And he told of an expected boost to the town's police station with an influx of personnel early next year.

'This summer has been the busiest policing has experienced for more than a decade,' he said from his office overlooking Newton Abbot. 'We have had jubilee celebrations to police, the torch relay coming through, all the usual summer events and of course a significant number of officers serving around the country supporting the Olympics.