SOCIAL restrictions played a 'significant role' in the reduction of crime in Barrow last year, police have said. Cumbria Constabulary recorded 5,660 offences in Barrow in the 12 months to December 2020, according to the Office for National Statistics. That was a decrease of 11 per cent compared to the previous year, when there were 6,378. At 84 crimes per 1,000 people, that was higher than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 81. Crimes recorded in Barrow included: * 229 sexual offences, a decrease of 28 per cent * 2,722 violent offences, a decrease of nine per cent * 755 incidents of criminal damage and arson, down nine per cent * 163 drug offences, down 16 per cent