POLICE enjoyed a more peaceful New Year's Eve compared to last year.

Between 10pm on December 31 and 6am on January 1, 419 emergency 999 calls were received, along with a significant number of non-emergency calls.

This compares with 468 emergency 999 calls the North Wales force received during the same period last year.

Seventy two people were arrested overnight across the force area, the majority for public order offences and minor assaults, a slight reduction on last year’s comparable period.

Assistant Chief Constable  Gareth Pritchard said: “As with all emergency services, New Years Eve is traditionally one of the busiest times for us and this year was no exception.

“We were prepared and had plans in pace to deal with the increased demand upon us.

“Additional officers were out on patrol in areas across the force to deal with the varied incidents that were reported to us.

“We sought to provide reassurance to allow people who were out celebrating to do so in a safe environment.

“North Wales Police officers and police support staff have worked extremely hard and I would like to thank them for their continued good work.”