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

Sussex Police recorded 4,156 offences in Adur in the 12 months to March, according to the Office for National Statistics.

That was an increase of 10% compared to the previous year, when there were 3,766.

However, at 64.7 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, 151 were sexual offences – an increase of 24% from the year before.

Meanwhile, violent crime has risen in the area, from 1,437 to 1,456 over this period.

One of the main factors behind this increase was the rise in violence with injury, which rose by 6%, from 404 incidents to 429.

And theft offences rose by 34%, with 1,292 incidents recorded in the 12 months to March.

At 20.1 crimes per 1,000 people, that was lower than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 25.1.

Crimes recorded in Adur included:

151 sexual offences, a rise of 24%1,456 violent offences, a rise of 1%552 incidents of criminal damage and arson, up 9%106 drug offences, down 33%47 possession of weapons such as firearms or knives, an increase of four414 public order offences, up 6%1,292 theft offences, a rise of 34%435 stalking and harassment offences, down 5%