Crime on the rise in Ealing, 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 Ealing, official police records reveal.

The Met Police recorded 29,926 offences in Ealing in the 12 months to March, according to the Office for National Statistics.

That was an increase of 5% compared to the previous year, when there were 28,394.

However, at 87.9 crimes per 1,000 people, that was slightly 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, 932 were sexual offences – an increase of 32% from the year before.

Meanwhile, violent crime has risen in the area, from 8,846 to 9,860 over this period.

One of the main factors behind this increase was the rise in stalking and harassment, which rose by 15%, from 2,485 incidents to 2,864.

And theft offences rose by 8%, with 11,722 incidents recorded in the 12 months to March.

At 34.4 crimes per 1,000 people, that was higher than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 25.1.

Crimes recorded in Ealing included:

932 sexual offences, a rise of 32%9,860 violent offences, a rise of 11%2,103 incidents of criminal damage and arson, up 9%1,526 drug offences, down 33%183 possession of weapons such as firearms or knives, down 19%2,535 public order offences, up 15%11,722 theft offences, a rise of 8%2,864 stalking and harassment offences, up 15%