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

Sussex Police recorded 8,774 offences in Worthing in the 12 months to March, according to the Office for National Statistics.

That was an increase of 13% compared to the previous year, when there were 7,731.

However, at 79.2 crimes per 1,000 people, that was far 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, 309 were sexual offences – an increase of 35% from the year before.

Meanwhile, violent crime has risen in the area, from 2,807 to 3,245 over this period.

One of the main factors behind this increase was the rise in violence without injury, which rose by 21%, from 1,174 incidents to 1,425.

And theft offences rose by 15%, with 2,554 incidents recorded in the 12 months to March.

At 23.1 crimes per 1,000 people, that was slightly lower than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 25.1.

Crimes recorded in Worthing included:

309 sexual offences, a rise of 35%3,245 violent offences, a rise of 16%984 incidents of criminal damage and arson, up 27%315 drug offences, down 32%119 possession of weapons such as firearms or knives, down 20%1,030 public order offences, up 21%2,554 theft offences, a rise of 15%877 stalking and harassment offences, up 7%