Crime on the rise in Kensington and Chelsea, 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 Kensington and Chelsea, official police records reveal.

The Met Police recorded 19,768 offences in Kensington and Chelsea in the 12 months to March, according to the Office for National Statistics.

That was an increase of 22% compared to the previous year, when there were 16,179.

And, at 126.0 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, 438 were sexual offences – an increase of 18% from the year before.

Meanwhile, violent crime has risen in the area, from 3,858 to 4,379 over this period.

One of the main factors behind this increase was the rise in violence with injury, which rose by 17%, from 1,160 incidents to 1,358.

And theft offences rose by 35%, with 10,690 incidents recorded in the 12 months to March.

At 68.1 crimes per 1,000 people, that was far higher than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 25.1.

Crimes recorded in Kensington and Chelsea included:

438 sexual offences, a rise of 18%4,379 violent offences, a rise of 14%1,029 incidents of criminal damage and arson, up 17%982 drug offences, down 22%101 possession of weapons such as firearms or knives, down 22%1,460 public order offences, up 26%10,690 theft offences, a rise of 35%1,229 stalking and harassment offences, up 6%