Crime rises across Yorkshire with stark increases in stalking, violence and possession of weapons

Crime across Yorkshire has risen by seven per cent - one per cent above the national average - with stark rises in stalking and harassment, violent offences and possession of weapons.

The figures for the 12 months ending June 2019 show there were a total of 588,167 offences recorded by the four Yorkshire police forces with a total of 66,133 stalking and harassment crimes (up 51 per cent on the previous year); 203,620 violent offences ( a rise of 21 per cent) and 4,861 possession of weapon crimes (a rise of 23 per cent).

The number of homicides across Yorkshire also rose by 11 per cent to a total of 73.

Humberside Police saw the highest rise in crime out of the four Yorkshire forces with a 13 per cent increase in recorded offences.

Deputy Chief Constable Chris Rowley said improvements in crime recording by the force can be attributed to one of the factors for the rise.

He said: "Another factor is that we now have more officers on the streets, proactively dealing with things like drug-related crime and antisocial behaviour, which will inevitably lead to more crimes being recorded."

Mr Rowey added that the force's priority is to protect the public and that the force wants people to feel reassured that it will record and investigate crime thoroughly to "hold those responsible to account".

North Yorkshire Police recorded a 12 per cent rise while South Yorkshire Police saw an increase of one per cent.

A spokesman for the North Yorkshire force said it is "working hard to stem" the increase, but stated the area is still the safest place in England and Wales.

West Yorkshire Police - the county's largest force - recorded an overall rise of 8 per cent with 296,160 crimes recorded in the 12 months up to June, however the force has said latest data available shows a downward trend with almost 1000 fewer offences recorded in the full six months up to the end of September.

Chief Constable John Robins said: “The most up to date information available to us for the first six months of this year shows a reduction in burglary, robbery and vehicle offences.

“There has also been a reduction in offences of most serious violence, with a hundred fewer serious assaults across the county.

“We have undertaken extensive work over a number of years now to ensure that crime is recorded accurately, so it is pleasing to see this improvement since the latest national reporting period.

“Our latest data also shows that knife crime offences have fallen since Operation Jemlock, the force’s response to tackling serious violence and knife crime, started to bite.

“More than 1,000 arrests have been made in just six months in this crackdown on violence and knife crime across the county. Proactive work is ongoing with our officers carrying out high visibility patrols in key areas.”

Knife crime across England and Wales hit a record high with 44.076 police recorded offences involving a knife or sharp instrument - a rise of seven per cent on the previous 12 months.

Javed Khan, the chief executive of charity Barnardo's, said: "It's totally unacceptable that the knife crime crisis continues to claim so many young lives, with offences at a record high.

"Knife crime is a symptom of a much wider, complex problem.

"Too many young people are suffering a 'poverty of hope', and facing a future with no qualifications, no job prospects, and no role models, making them vulnerable to criminal gangs who force them to deliver drugs and carry knives."