VIOLENT crime has risen in Northumberland over the last year - despite an overall drop in recorded offences.

Northumbria Police recorded 8,599 incidents of violent crime in the county in the 12 months to December, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. That was an increase of 3 per cent compared to the previous year. And at 26.7 crimes per 1,000 people, was lower than the rate across England and Wales which stood at 30.

One of the main factors behind the increase was the rise in stalking and harassment which rose by 21 per cent from 2,728 incidents to 3,290. There were also two homicides, which include murders and manslaughters, down by two on the previous 12 months.

Overall, police recorded 8 per cent fewer crimes across England and Wales – there were around 5.6 million offences in the year to December.

The total number of offences in Northumberland fell by 7 per cent, with police recording 22,802 crimes over the course of the year, putting the overall crime rate at 70.7 per 1,000 people, compared to a national average of 80.8.

Crimes recorded in Northumberland included: 747 sexual offences, a decrease of 3 per cent, 5,404 theft offences, down 27 per cent, 3,388 incidents of criminal damage and arson, down 6 per cent, 515 drug offences, up 38 per cent, 166 possession of weapons such as firearms or knives, down 8 per cent and 3,216 public order offences, no change.

Detective chief superintendent Aelfwynn Sampson, head of crime at Northumbria Police, said: “We are extremely passionate about making a difference and are committed to keeping our communities safe.

“Over the last year, as has been the case across much of the country during the pandemic, the number of overall crimes have decreased – but we have seen rises in certain types of offending.

“It is important to recognise, however, that increases in recorded crime do not necessarily indicate a rise in offending – with more and more victims now coming forward and reporting incidents to us. For example, these figures show an increase in stalking and harassment reports which we welcome, as this rise is largely attributed to the further confidence of victims to come forward, as well as improvements in the way such crimes are recorded.

“We are continuing to give our officers and staff training in how best to recognise these types of offences, so to see more of them being recorded is a positive step for victims.

“We are incredibly proud that Northumbria remains one of the safest places in the country to live and work, but we are not complacent and will continue to work closely with our communities and partners in order to tackle and prevent all kinds of crime.”