Crime on the rise in St Helens, 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 St Helens, official police records reveal.

Merseyside Police recorded 21,060 offences in St Helens in the 12 months to March, according to the Office for National Statistics.

That was an increase of 30% compared to the previous year, when there were 16,151.

And, at 116.3 crimes per 1,000 people, that was far higher than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 89.3.

Of the crimes recorded in the area over the last 12 months, 634 were sexual offences – an increase of 38% from the year before.

Meanwhile, violent crime has soared in the area, from 6,817 to 9,094 over this period.

One of the main factors behind this increase was the rise in violence without injury, which rose by 39%, from 2,683 incidents to 3,736.

And theft offences rose by 24%, with 4,240 incidents recorded in the 12 months to March.

At 23.4 crimes per 1,000 people, that was slightly lower than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 25.1.

Crimes recorded in St Helens included:

634 sexual offences, a rise of 38%9,094 violent offences, a rise of 33%2,137 incidents of criminal damage and arson, up 23%928 drug offences, down 17%167 possession of weapons such as firearms or knives, down 2%3,304 public order offences, up 71%4,240 theft offences, a rise of 24%3,387 stalking and harassment offences, up 35%