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

Sussex Police recorded 6,123 offences in Wealden in the 12 months to March, according to the Office for National Statistics.

That was an increase of 8% compared to the previous year, when there were 5,664.

However, at 37.6 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, 275 were sexual offences – an increase of 31% from the year before.

Meanwhile, violent crime has risen in the area, from 2,164 to 2,487 over this period.

One of the main factors behind this increase was the rise in stalking and harassment, which rose by 19%, from 739 incidents to 876.

And theft offences rose by 5%, with 1,551 incidents recorded in the 12 months to March.

At 9.5 crimes per 1,000 people, that was far lower than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 25.1.

Crimes recorded in Wealden included:

275 sexual offences, a rise of 31%2,487 violent offences, a rise of 15%800 incidents of criminal damage and arson, up 10%128 drug offences, down 33%68 possession of weapons such as firearms or knives, a decrease of 14655 public order offences, up 1%1,551 theft offences, a rise of 5%876 stalking and harassment offences, up 19%