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

Northumbria Police recorded 18,241 offences in Gateshead in the 12 months to March, according to the Office for National Statistics.

That was an increase of 4% compared to the previous year, when there were 17,604.

At 90.3 crimes per 1,000 people, that was in line with the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 89.3.

Of the crimes recorded in the area over the last 12 months, 719 were sexual offences – an increase of 21% from the year before.

Meanwhile, violent crime has risen in the area, from 6,689 to 6,967 over this period.

One of the main factors behind this increase was the rise in violence without injury, which rose by 13%, from 2,146 incidents to 2,431.

And theft offences rose by 3%, with 5,048 incidents recorded in the 12 months to March.

At 25.0 crimes per 1,000 people, that was in line with the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 25.1.

Crimes recorded in Gateshead included:

719 sexual offences, a rise of 21%6,967 violent offences, a rise of 4%2,153 incidents of criminal damage and arson, up 23%373 drug offences, down 19%166 possession of weapons such as firearms or knives, down 10%2,239 public order offences, down 3%5,048 theft offences, a rise of 3%2,469 stalking and harassment offences, down 8%