Crime has risen over the last year in North Devon, official police records reveal.
Devon and Cornwall Police recorded 8,308 offences in North Devon in the 12 months to March, according to the Office for National Statistics.
That was an increase of 18% compared to the previous year, when there were 7,053.
However, at 49.8 crimes per 1,000 people, that was far lower than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 89.3.
Of the crimes recorded in the area over the last 12 months, 432 were sexual offences – an increase of 42% from the year before.
Meanwhile, violent crime has risen in the area, from 3,111 to 3,636 over this period.
One of the main factors behind this increase was the rise in violence with injury, which rose by 19%, from 1,002 incidents to 1,195.
And theft offences rose by 27%, with 1,726 incidents recorded in the 12 months to March.
At 10.3 crimes per 1,000 people, that was far lower than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 25.1.
Crimes recorded in North Devon included:
- 432 sexual offences, a rise of 42%
- 3,636 violent offences, a rise of 17%
- 1,142 incidents of criminal damage and arson, up 19%
- 325 drug offences, down 25%
- 90 possession of weapons such as firearms or knives, an increase of four
- 740 public order offences, up 22%
- 1,726 theft offences, a rise of 27%
- 1,044 stalking and harassment offences, up 12%