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

The Met Police recorded 24,650 offences in Redbridge in the 12 months to March, according to the Office for National Statistics.

That was an increase of 10% compared to the previous year, when there were 22,386.

However, at 80.6 crimes per 1,000 people, that was 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, 768 were sexual offences – an increase of 42% from the year before.

Meanwhile, violent crime has risen in the area, from 6,710 to 7,655 over this period.

One of the main factors behind this increase was the rise in violence with injury, which rose by 22%, from 1,902 incidents to 2,316.

And theft offences rose by 10%, with 10,567 incidents recorded in the 12 months to March.

At 34.6 crimes per 1,000 people, that was higher than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 25.1.

Crimes recorded in Redbridge included:

768 sexual offences, a rise of 42%7,655 violent offences, a rise of 14%1,579 incidents of criminal damage and arson, up 16%1,252 drug offences, down 30%156 possession of weapons such as firearms or knives, down 6%1,647 public order offences, up 23%10,567 theft offences, a rise of 10%2,119 stalking and harassment offences, up 6%