Crime on the rise in Birmingham, official figures show

File photo dated 22/10/14 of a Police officer, as according to new figures, some of the UK's biggest police forces have recorded a rise in the number of violent homophobic crimes this year, with hundreds of assaults on gay and lesbian people reported to police so far in 2014 - including more than 300 in London alone. Scotland Yard recorded 1,073 violent homophobic offences between January and October, up from 1,007 in 2013 and 1,002 in 2012.

Crime has risen over the last year in Birmingham, official police records reveal.

West Midlands Police recorded 157,658 offences in Birmingham in the 12 months to March, according to the Office for National Statistics.

That was an increase of 32% compared to the previous year, when there were 119,399.

And, at 138.2 crimes per 1,000 people, that was far higher than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 89.3.

Of the crimes recorded in the area over the last 12 months, 5,335 were sexual offences – an increase of 40% from the year before.

Meanwhile, violent crime has risen in the area, from 54,723 to 70,624 over this period.

One of the main factors behind this increase was the rise in violence without injury, which rose by 33%, from 20,744 incidents to 27,644.

And theft offences rose by 27%, with 40,682 incidents recorded in the 12 months to March.

At 35.7 crimes per 1,000 people, that was far higher than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 25.1.

Crimes recorded in Birmingham included:

5,335 sexual offences, a rise of 40%70,624 violent offences, a rise of 29%12,136 incidents of criminal damage and arson, up 96%3,404 drug offences, up 14%2,942 possession of weapons such as firearms or knives, up 67%15,644 public order offences, up 30%40,682 theft offences, a rise of 27%24,796 stalking and harassment offences, up 31%