Crime on the rise in South Kesteven, 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 South Kesteven, official police records reveal.

Lincolnshire Police recorded 8,286 offences in South Kesteven in the 12 months to March, according to the Office for National Statistics.

That was an increase of 14% compared to the previous year, when there were 7,243.

However, at 57.9 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, 381 were sexual offences – an increase of 47% from the year before.

Meanwhile, violent crime has risen in the area, from 2,745 to 3,183 over this period.

One of the main factors behind this increase was the rise in violence with injury, which rose by 19%, from 726 incidents to 864.

And theft offences rose by 21%, with 2,597 incidents recorded in the 12 months to March.

At 18.1 crimes per 1,000 people, that was lower than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 25.1.

Crimes recorded in South Kesteven included:

381 sexual offences, a rise of 47%3,183 violent offences, a rise of 16%929 incidents of criminal damage and arson, up 3%172 drug offences, down 41%83 possession of weapons such as firearms or knives, an increase of 18710 public order offences, up 7%2,597 theft offences, a rise of 21%1,196 stalking and harassment offences, up 13%