STUDENTS at the University of Bolton are among the safest in the North West and less likely to be a victim of crime than those at neighbouring institutions.

New rankings highlighting the safest and riskiest universities for student- relevant crimes places Bolton as the fourth safest in the 11 universities in the region.

Only Cumbria, Chester and Edge Hill, in Ormskirk, have lower crime rates.

Bolton had a crime rate of 1.67 per 1,000 residents in and around the university between May last year and April this year.

This is compared to 2.51 for Manchester University and 2.55 for Manchester Metropolitan University, which is the second “riskiest” place in the country.

Sara Burgess, the Univerity of Botlon’s head of library and student services, said: “We work closely with police and our Neighbourhood Policing Team to make sure our students are as safe as possible.

“We have a dedicated police point of contact who comes to the Freshers’ Fair to meet new students, and the police are available to give advice to students and their parents when they pick up their keys for halls of residence.”

The University of Bolton is said to be the 52nd safest place to study, according to the statistics compiled by The Complete University Guide.

In Bolton, the figures for burglary stand at 0.76, robbery 0.07 and violent crime 0.83.

Bernard Kingston, The Complete University Guide founder, says: “While these crimes are the three most commonly perpetrated against students, the figures relate to all victims, not just students. And they relate to the areas surrounding universities, not solely to university premises.

“While universities, especially those in high crime areas, do much to advise students on precautions, many students, particularly those from overseas attracted by formidable academic reputations, are often not aware of the risks in the areas around their chosen institutions.

“But it would be reassuring for university applicants and their parents if such information was readily available from the universities.”