Crime on the rise in Eastbourne, official figures show

File photo dated 22/10/14 of a Police officer, as according to new figures, some of the UK's biggest police forces have recorded a rise in the number of violent homophobic crimes this year, with hundreds of assaults on gay and lesbian people reported to police so far in 2014 - including more than 300 in London alone. Scotland Yard recorded 1,073 violent homophobic offences between January and October, up from 1,007 in 2013 and 1,002 in 2012.

Crime has risen over the last year in Eastbourne, official police records reveal.

Sussex Police recorded 8,852 offences in Eastbourne in the 12 months to March, according to the Office for National Statistics.

That was an increase of 9% compared to the previous year, when there were 8,100.

However, at 85.7 crimes per 1,000 people, that was lower than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 89.3.

Of the crimes recorded in the area over the last 12 months, 411 were sexual offences – an increase of 28% from the year before.

Meanwhile, violent crime has risen in the area, from 3,327 to 3,857 over this period.

One of the main factors behind this increase was the rise in stalking and harassment, which rose by 19%, from 913 incidents to 1,089.

And theft offences rose by 3%, with 1,926 incidents recorded in the 12 months to March.

At 18.6 crimes per 1,000 people, that was lower than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 25.1.

Crimes recorded in Eastbourne included:

411 sexual offences, a rise of 28%3,857 violent offences, a rise of 16%937 incidents of criminal damage and arson, up 4%303 drug offences, down 20%113 possession of weapons such as firearms or knives, down 4%1,078 public order offences, up 15%1,926 theft offences, a rise of 3%1,089 stalking and harassment offences, up 19%