CRIME in North Yorkshire is far less severe than it used to be but is rising, according to new figures.

The Office of National Statistics has released details of crime severity - the relative harm of an offence to society and the likely demands on police.

In North Yorkshire between April 2002 and March 2003, the figures showed there were an average of 87 offences per 1,000 members of the population, and the crime severity score at that point was 9.1.

These figures both rose the following year, to 92 offences per 1,000 people, and a crime severity score of 9.8, but the figures declined steadily since, until 2013/14.

That year, there were 43 offences per 1,000 people, with a severity score of 5.2, and while the volume of crime has remained similar - 46 last year - the severity of the crime was far more severe - 6.6 on the scale.

A North Yorkshire Police spokeswoman acknowledged the severity rating had increased in recent years, but was still better than the national average.

She said: “Crime figures released in October show that North Yorkshire has one of the lowest crime rates in the country and continues to be one of the safest areas of the country. The severity rating, which is below the national average, also reflects this position.

“However, we will not allow complacency to creep in and we are determined to keep improving. Our proactive approach to tackling and suppressing crime, particularly on the road networks and rural locations where cross-border offenders are known to operate, is proving to be effective"

In Humberside, the offence rate in 2002/03 was 149 per 1,000, with a severity score of 19.8, while last year there were 75 crimes per 1,000 people, with severity ratings of 11.3 - almost double that of North Yorkshire.