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

The Met Police recorded 36,048 offences in Newham in the 12 months to March, according to the Office for National Statistics.

That was an increase of 12% compared to the previous year, when there were 32,071.

And, at 101.5 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, 1,167 were sexual offences – an increase of 44% from the year before.

Meanwhile, violent crime has risen in the area, from 9,263 to 10,227 over this period.

One of the main factors behind this increase was the rise in violence with injury, which rose by 21%, from 2,711 incidents to 3,271.

And theft offences rose by 22%, with 15,758 incidents recorded in the 12 months to March.

At 44.4 crimes per 1,000 people, that was far higher than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 25.1.

Crimes recorded in Newham included:

1,167 sexual offences, a rise of 44%10,227 violent offences, a rise of 10%2,168 incidents of criminal damage and arson, up 12%2,300 drug offences, down 24%266 possession of weapons such as firearms or knives, down 20%2,375 public order offences, up 17%15,758 theft offences, a rise of 22%2,669 stalking and harassment offences, up 3%