Huge rise in stalking as violent crime and sexual assaults also increase across Yorkshire - but how does your police force fare?

Stalking and harassment has seen the biggest increase with a 62 per cent rise in the last 12 months to December 2018, figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Police across the county say the increase in reports of stalking and harassment is due to improvements in "crime recording practices" and an increased confidence by victims to come forward.

There has also been a 31 per cent increase in public order offences, a 24 per cent increase in the possession of offensive weapons and a 14 per cent rise in the number of drug related crimes.

Other increases include a 20 per cent rise in robberies, 28 per cent in violence against persons, and a 10 per cent rise in the number of sexual offences.

There were a total of 576,385 crimes (excluding fraud) reported to police across Yorkshire.

Crime across the county has fallen in a number of areas, including burglary which is down by six per cent, criminal damage and arson - also down by six per cent, and vehicle offences which have fallen by six per cent.

Across the country, crime has risen seven per cent.

Alexa Bradley, from the ONS, said there had not been a "significant change" over the last year overall, but said each crime type needs to be investigated closely.

She said: “When we look at the overall level of crime, there has been no significant change over the last year. However, it is important to look at each crime type separately because the picture is very mixed. Even within crime types we have seen differences. Robbery and vehicle offences have increased whereas burglary has decreased. Lower-volume high-harm violence involving knives has risen, whereas offences involving firearms have decreased.”

Find out how your police force fared below:

Humberside Police

Crime across the Humberside Police force area has risen by 15 per cent.

The biggest increases across the force were stalking and harassment which saw a 137 per cent increase; public order crimes which have risen by 77 per cent; violence against a person which has seen a rise of 34 per cent and a 28 per cent rise in sexual offences.

The force saw figures fall in a number of areas including vehicle offences (down 13 per cent), burglary (down nine per cent) and theft (down one per cent).

North Yorkshire Police

Crime across North Yorkshire has risen by 14 per cent.

The biggest increases across the force were stalking and harassment (110 per cent rise), public order offences (56 per cent increase), possession of offensive weapons (33 per cent), violence against a person ( 32 per cent) and a 28 per cent rise in the number of robberies.

Sexual offences also rose by 20 per cent.

The force saw figures fall in reports of shoplifting (four per cent) and bike theft (one per cent).

South Yorkshire Police

Crime across South Yorkshire fell by two per cent overall, bucking the national trend.

There were decreases in bike theft (20 per cent), burglary (12 per cent) and criminal damage and arson (12 per cent).

Sexual offences have reduced by five per cent.

There were a number of increases in stalking and harassment (38 per cent), drug offences (16 per cent) and possession of offensive weapons (18 per cent) and violence against a person (13 per cent).

West Yorkshire Police

Crime across West Yorkshire has risen by 12 per cent overall.

The force recorded the biggest increases in stalking and harassment (59 per cent), possession of offensive weapons and public order offences (both 33 per cent), violence against a person (32 per cent) and robbery (32 per cent).

Sexual offences also increased by 10 per cent.

Bike theft fell by six per cent, criminal damage and arson by five per cent, and theft by four per cent.