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

Sussex Police recorded 6,849 offences in Horsham in the 12 months to March, according to the Office for National Statistics.

That was an increase of 15% compared to the previous year, when there were 5,974.

However, at 47.1 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, 267 were sexual offences – an increase of 15% from the year before.

Meanwhile, violent crime has risen in the area, from 2,265 to 2,599 over this period.

One of the main factors behind this increase was the rise in violence with injury, which rose by 17%, from 635 incidents to 740.

And theft offences rose by 13%, with 1,809 incidents recorded in the 12 months to March.

At 12.4 crimes per 1,000 people, that was far lower than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 25.1.

Crimes recorded in Horsham included:

267 sexual offences, a rise of 15%2,599 violent offences, a rise of 15%938 incidents of criminal damage and arson, up 30%152 drug offences, down 45%59 possession of weapons such as firearms or knives, a decrease of 12841 public order offences, up 32%1,809 theft offences, a rise of 13%861 stalking and harassment offences, up 13%