Crime falls on Fylde coast but violent cases up

Despite an overall 6.7 per cent fall in the number of recorded offences, theft from the person and violent crime have gone up.

But robbery was down more than 27 per cent in the 12 months up to the end of June. The 144 incidents recorded by police was the lowest figure in more than a decade.

Over the course of the year, officers logged 23,019 offences across Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre.

The figures, released yesterday by the Office for National Statistics, also show the recent rise in the number of sexual offences reported to police – in the wake of several high profile cases – has slowed down.

Across Lancashire, crime was down 3.4 per cent, from 95,481 between July 2013 and June 2014 to 92,276 in the following 12 months. Nationally, crime rose five per cent.

Robbery was down county-wide, as were drug offences. Reporting of sexual offences is still on the rise in the rest of the county, as is violent crime.

Violent crime resulting in injury was fractionally up, while minor violence has increased by 14.4 per cent.

On the Fylde coast, the more serious violent crimes fell last year and violence without injury was up 12.9 per cent.

When approached for a comment, Lancashire Police referred The Gazette to a statement issued by the National Police Chief’s Council’s lead for crime recording, Ch Con Jeff Farrar.

He said: “Police recorded crime has risen by five per cent.

“This directly reflects the efforts being made by forces to improve consistency in crime recording.

“Victims now have increased confidence in reporting sexual offences.”

But he warned: “There is still a gap in what the public are experiencing and what is being reported to the police.”