Crime on the rise in Bassetlaw, official figures show

Nottinghamshire Police recorded 10,547 offences in Bassetlaw in the 12 months to June, according to the Office for National Statistics.

That was an increase of 14 per cent compared to the previous year, when there were 9,260.

However, at 89.2 crimes per 1,000 people, that was slightly lower than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 91.3.

The figures come as a victim support group says “women deserve better” after a sharp rise in violent and sexual offences led to a record high for police-recorded crime in England and Wales.

Of the crimes recorded in Bassetlaw over the last 12 months, 273 were sexual offences, an increase of 5 per cent from the year before.

Meanwhile, violent crime has risen in the area, from 2,889 to 3,446 over this period.

One of the main factors behind this increase was the rise in violence without injury, which rose by 23 per cent, from 880 incidents to 1,084.

Across England and Wales, there were 70,600 rape offences recorded in the year to June, another record high and an increase of 20 per cent from 59,046 in 2019-20.

The number has nearly doubled in just over six years, from 36,321 in 2015-16.

Diana Fawcett, chief executive at the charity Victim Support, said: “This huge increase in sexual violence, in particular rape, reported to the police is seriously alarming and a stark reminder that the government needs to get a grip on staggeringly low conviction rates and horrendous court delays.

Nationally, domestic-abuse related offences totalled 912,181 in the year to June, up 6 per cent on the previous 12 months and up 14 per cent in 2019-20.

Some of this increase “may reflect improvements seen in recording and reporting over the last few years”, the ONS added.

And theft offences in Bassetlaw rose by 12 per cent, with 4,032 incidents recorded in the 12 months to June.

At 34.1 crimes per 1,000 people, that was higher than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 26.5.

Crimes recorded in Bassetlaw included:

273 sexual offences, a rise of 5 per cent; 3,446 violent offences, a rise of 19 per cent; 1,344 incidents of criminal damage and arson, up 19 per cent; 189 drug offences, down 20 per cent; 101 possession of weapons such as firearms or knives, up 46 per cent; 771 public order offences, up 5 per cent; 4,032 theft offences, a rise of 12 per cent; 1,152 stalking and harassment offences, up 16 per cent.

Nottinghamshire Police have been approached for comment.

A Home Office spokesman said: “It is good to see an 8 per cent rise in the volume of charges for rape offences. However, the volume of rapes and sexual offences is concerning.

“Some of the increase in reporting can be attributed to more victims coming forward, and we welcome that, as these crimes can all too often be hidden."

“We need the police and the Crown Prosecution Service to do more and raise the bar, so that victims know they will be taken seriously and the criminals responsible are put behind bars,” they added.