Rise in violent crime in St Helens

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.

Violent crime has risen in St Helens over the last year, despite a decrease in overall recorded crime across England and Wales.

Merseyside Police recorded 7,812 incidents of violent crime in St Helens in the 12 months to September, according to the Office for National Statistics.

That was an increase of 17% compared to the previous year.

At 43.1 crimes per 1,000 people, that was far higher than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 32.3.

One of the main factors behind the increase in St Helens was the rise in stalking and harassment, which rose by 36%, from 2,188 incidents to 2,969.

Offences of violence without injury were recorded 3,095 times, an increase of 14% on the previous year, and violence with injury on 1,743 occasions, down by 2%.

There was one homicide – a category which includes murders and manslaughters. This was the same number as the previous 12 months.

Around 5.8 million offences were recorded across England and Wales in the year to September – a 2% rise compared to the previous year – though there was a 1% drop to 4.9 million offences when excluding cases of fraud and computer misuse.

The total number of offences in St Helens increased by 9%, with police recording 18,263 crimes over the course of the year.

This puts the overall crime rate at 100.8 per 1,000 people, compared to a national average of 82.4.

Other crimes recorded in St Helens included:

521 sexual offences, a rise of 10%3,729 theft offences, down 9%1,893 incidents of criminal damage and arson, down 3%1,078 drug offences, up 1%150 possession of weapons such as firearms or knives, down 14%2,599 public order offences, up 40%

Police forces across England and Wales logged the highest number of rapes and sexual offences in a 12-month period in the year to September, the figures show.

Around 63,100 rapes were recorded in the year to September, according to the Office for National Statistics, up 13% from the previous period (56,100).

This was the highest recorded annual figure to date and included 17,400 offences between July and September – the highest quarterly figure.

The ONS said the latest figures may reflect several factors, including the “impact of high-profile incidents, media coverage and campaigns on people’s willingness to report incidents to the police, as well as a potential increase in the number of victims”, and it urged caution when interpreting the data.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “Nobody should have to experience the horror of rape and other sexual crimes.

“It’s encouraging that more victims of sexual violence are coming forward, and we’ve been clear that police must raise the bar in handling such cases so victims know that they will be taken seriously and criminals responsible are put behind bars."