Crime on the rise in Lewes, 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 Lewes, official police records reveal.

Sussex Police recorded 5,415 offences in Lewes 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 4,969.

However, at 52.3 crimes per 1,000 people, that was far 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, 227 were sexual offences – an increase of 7% from the year before.

Meanwhile, violent crime has risen in the area, from 1,999 to 2,209 over this period.

One of the main factors behind this increase was the rise in stalking and harassment, which rose by 16%, from 647 incidents to 751.

Theft offences fell by 1%, with 1,110 incidents recorded in the 12 months to March.

At 10.7 crimes per 1,000 people, that was far lower than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 25.1.

Crimes recorded in Lewes included:

227 sexual offences, a rise of 7%2,209 violent offences, a rise of 11%704 incidents of criminal damage and arson, up 10%147 drug offences, down 10%54 possession of weapons such as firearms or knives, a decrease of six668 public order offences, up 17%1,110 theft offences, down 1%751 stalking and harassment offences, up 16%