MORE THAN 500 sexual offences have been reported in Tendring over the past year, figures suggest.

Data from the Office for National Statistics show Essex Police have recorded 557 incidents in the 12 months to September.

That was an increase of 30 per cent compared to the previous year.

At 3.8 crimes per 1,000 people, that was slightly higher than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 2.9.

Around 63,100 rapes were recorded in England and Wales over the same period, which is up 13 per cent from the previous period (56,100) and the highest recorded annual figure to date.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “It’s encouraging that more victims of sexual violence are coming forward, and we’ve been clear that police must raise the bar in handling such cases so victims know that they will be taken seriously and criminals responsible are put behind bars."

The total number of offences in Tendring fell by 2 per cent, with police recording 13,462 crimes over the course of the year.

This puts the overall crime rate at 91.4 per 1,000 people, compared to a national average of 82.4.

Other crimes recorded in Tendring included:

  • 6,679 violent offences, a rise of 6 per cent
  • 2,315 theft offences, down 21 per cent
  • 1,377 incidents of criminal damage and arson, down 9 per cent
  • 106 possession of weapons such as firearms or knives, down 26 per cent
  • 1,567 public order offences, up 7 per cent