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

The Met Police recorded 26,574 offences in Islington 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 23,224.

And, at 107.1 crimes per 1,000 people, that was far 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, 689 were sexual offences – an increase of 49% from the year before.

Meanwhile, violent crime has risen in the area, from 5,878 to 7,093 over this period.

One of the main factors behind this increase was the rise in violence with injury, which rose by 29%, from 1,782 incidents to 2,299.

And theft offences rose by 18%, with 12,597 incidents recorded in the 12 months to March.

At 50.8 crimes per 1,000 people, that was far higher than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 25.1.

Crimes recorded in Islington included:

689 sexual offences, a rise of 49%7,093 violent offences, a rise of 21%1,547 incidents of criminal damage and arson, up 9%1,161 drug offences, down 20%162 possession of weapons such as firearms or knives, down 5%2,059 public order offences, up 5%12,597 theft offences, a rise of 18%1,978 stalking and harassment offences, up 8%