POLICE FORCE AREAS

Police force areas varied widely in the number of tests carried out in 2005 per 100,000 population, from 270 in West Midlands to 3,200 in North Wales. Figure 5 illustrates the distribution across England and Wales. Forces with the highest number of tests per 100,000 population were North Wales, Cumbria, Cheshire, Hampshire, and Essex. The proportion of tests, which are positive or refused, also varied by force, from six per cent in Cumbria and North Wales to 62 per cent in Gwent (see Note 16). Figure 6 shows police force areas by the number of positive or refused tests per 100,000 population in 2005. Forces with the highest rates of positive tests per 100,000 population were South Yorkshire, Thames Valley, Dorset, South Wales, Hampshire and Nottinghamshire.

Total tests per 100,000 population by police force area 2005