Progress welcomed by Christina.

Cases of vandalism across South Lanarkshire have fallen sharply since the SNP came to power in 2007, latest figures have revealed – proving that the SNP’s approach to crime and justice in the community is working.

In 2007/08, there was 221 instances of vandalism per 10,000 of the population in South Lanarkshire – which has fallen sharply to 91 by 2016/17, a drop of 59%.

The latest figures back up Tory Justice Minister Rory Stewart’s comments that the rest of the UK “has a lot to learn from Scotland”.

Commenting, SNP MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse said:

“This is welcome news – and proves that the SNP’s approach to justice is paying dividends for our communities across Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse.

“Thanks to our approach to justice and well-supported police in our communities there has been a marked drop in the rate of vandalism across South Lanarkshire – meaning everyone can enjoy living here more safely, without damage to property.

“Given this sharp drop in cases of vandalism 59% since 2007 – it is no wonder that the Tory UK government are looking to Scotland for answers on how to tackle crime, acknowledging that they have ‘a lot to learn from Scotland’.