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

Sussex Police recorded 7,798 offences in Chichester in the 12 months to March, according to the Office for National Statistics.

That was an increase of 21% compared to the previous year, when there were 6,456.

However, at 64.2 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, 302 were sexual offences – an increase of 19% from the year before.

Meanwhile, violent crime has risen in the area, from 2,157 to 2,620 over this period.

One of the main factors behind this increase was the rise in stalking and harassment, which rose by 30%, from 605 incidents to 787.

And theft offences rose by 28%, with 2,614 incidents recorded in the 12 months to March.

At 21.5 crimes per 1,000 people, that was lower than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 25.1.

Crimes recorded in Chichester included:

302 sexual offences, a rise of 19%2,620 violent offences, a rise of 21%857 incidents of criminal damage and arson, up 15%190 drug offences, down 28%71 possession of weapons such as firearms or knives, no change903 public order offences, up 34%2,614 theft offences, a rise of 28%787 stalking and harassment offences, up 30%