Crime on the rise in Waltham Forest, 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 Waltham Forest, official police records reveal.

The Met Police recorded 22,794 offences in Waltham Forest in the 12 months to March, according to the Office for National Statistics.

That was an increase of 1% compared to the previous year, when there were 22,630.

However, at 82.3 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, 597 were sexual offences – an increase of 20% from the year before.

Meanwhile, violent crime has risen in the area, from 6,642 to 6,882 over this period.

One of the main factors behind this increase was the rise in violence without injury, which rose by 5%, from 2,734 incidents to 2,858.

Theft offences fell by 2%, with 9,365 incidents recorded in the 12 months to March.

At 33.8 crimes per 1,000 people, that was higher than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 25.1.

Crimes recorded in Waltham Forest included:

597 sexual offences, a rise of 20%6,882 violent offences, a rise of 4%1,542 incidents of criminal damage and arson, up 4%1,561 drug offences, down 12%197 possession of weapons such as firearms or knives, down 6%1,596 public order offences, up 8%9,365 theft offences, down 2%1,962 stalking and harassment offences, up 2%