THE number of recorded crimes rose by five per cent in the 12 months to September, but North Yorkshire remains the lowest crime location in England.

Figures released by the Office for National Statistics showed there were 37,259 crimes recorded in that period - lower than the national average increase of nine per cent, and down from 46,496 in 2007.

The number of drug offences has fallen to 1,669 from 1,955 in 2015 - a drop of 14.6 per cent - and by more than 18 per cent from the same period in the 12 months to September 2007 (2,042).

Violence against the person went up by 14 per cent on the previous year, with 9,313 crimes in total including 4,575 crimes where someone was injured (a seven per cent increase), and 4,733 crimes without injury (a 21 increase).

The number of sexual offences recorded by police to September was 1,316, up 16.8 per cent on the 12 months to September 2015 (1,126), and up 142 per cent on the same period in 2007 (542).

Assistant Chief Constable Lisa Winward said the increase in sexual crimes was still due to the public having more confidence in reporting them, and not necessarily due to more taking place.

She said: “This achievement is down to the dedication of our officers, police staff, special constables and volunteers who all play a part in keeping our communities safe alongside our local authority partners and other agencies.

“I also thank the hundreds of Watch scheme volunteers and members of the public for their unstinting support. Your role is absolutely vital to effective policing and we are truly grateful.”

Possession of weapons offences rose by 10 per cent on the previous year, up to 204 from 186, but down 39 per cent on the same period in 2007 (338 crimes).

Mike Stubbs, from the North Yorkshire Police Federation, said the force was still dealing with cuts from previous Governments, and accused officials of “hiding behind excuses”.

He said: “The fact that this county remains the safest place in England is a welcome reflection of the hard work being done every day by our members out there in the communities, together with their police staff colleagues. But they are being failed.

“Every time the crime figures increase, the Home Office hides behind excuses such as ‘increased victim confidence’ or ‘changes in recording practice’. I don’t think the public are fooled by those attempted justifications any more. The failure of the Government to provide adequate, secure investment in policing is having consequences, and the public are seeing those.”

Action Fraud said there had also been 2,182 offences of fraud recorded between October 2015 and July 2016 involving victims in North Yorkshire and York.

Police and Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan said improvements to support for abuse victims had given the public more confidence to come forward, and said fraud was an important issue for residents in North Yorkshire.: “It is very important that alongside our success in keeping crime down we ensure we have the right services for victims when they are needed.

“Today’s figures demonstrate how crime is changing, with fraud now the most commonly experienced offence in the UK. This reflects the results from my recent consultation for North Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Plan, which showed that fraud is the top emerging public concern compared to five years ago.”