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

The Met Police recorded 27,739 offences in Greenwich in the 12 months to March, according to the Office for National Statistics.

That was an increase of 11% compared to the previous year, when there were 24,900.

And, at 96.0 crimes per 1,000 people, that was higher than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 89.3.

Of the crimes recorded in the area over the last 12 months, 1,029 were sexual offences – an increase of 48% from the year before.

Meanwhile, violent crime has risen in the area, from 8,284 to 9,498 over this period.

One of the main factors behind this increase was the rise in violence with injury, which rose by 18%, from 2,516 incidents to 2,958.

And theft offences rose by 17%, with 9,944 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 Greenwich included:

1,029 sexual offences, a rise of 48%9,498 violent offences, a rise of 15%2,005 incidents of criminal damage and arson, up 8%1,768 drug offences, down 14%248 possession of weapons such as firearms or knives, up 2%2,262 public order offences, up 6%9,944 theft offences, a rise of 17%2,902 stalking and harassment offences, up 13%