Crime in North Yorkshire rises by eight per cent

Figures released by the Office for National Statistics show there were 37,299 crimes recorded by North Yorkshire Police in that period.

Violence (22 per cent, robbery (four per cent), sexual offences (13 per cent) and burglary (five per cent) are all up.

The number of drug offences is down by 14 per cent and weapons charges are down by 23 per cent.

Assistant Chief Constable Lisa Winward said: “It is pleasing to see that North Yorkshire remains one of the very safest and low-crime areas in the country.

“We are continuing to work hard alongside our community partners to protect the quality of life by actively targeting crime and tackling anti-social behavior. Our teams of officers, PCSOs, Police Staff, Special Constables and volunteers deserve a great deal of credit for making a real difference in the neighbourhoods they are proud to serve.”

ACC Winward added: “Any rise in recorded crime is naturally a cause for concern and it is something that we are keeping a very close eye on. It is important to stress that North Yorkshire Police is never complacent when it comes to protecting our communities.

“However, there is a national context to the increases with more consistent and robust crime recording practices being implemented across the country. North Yorkshire Police, like other police forces, is also rising to the challenge of dealing with the growing issue of cybercrime and other online-related offences including fraud.”