OVERALL crime has risen on Merseyside, despite a fall in the number of reported burglaries, vehicle crime, theft and criminal damage.

There were 95,309 crimes recorded by Merseyside Police in the year to September, a 4.8% rise from the previous year, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics.

Assistant Chief Constable Ian Pilling said that while a reduction in criminal damage and acquisitive crimes – such as burglary and theft – shows the hard work of officers, the rise in other crimes – including sexual offences – shows the challenges that lie ahead.

He said: “These figures are reflective of the hard work of our officers who are relentlessly tracking down offenders, disrupting their day-to-day activities and bringing these criminals to justice.

“The challenge for us, and where we have seen some increases, are violent crime and sexual offences.

“Although the levels of recorded violent crime have increased significantly, there has only been a minimal increase in the reports of violent crime reported to us from the public.”

Officers on Merseyside are now recording crimes in more cases than ever before as the force strives to comply with the Home Office Crime Recording Rules.

Although statistics show an increase in reports of violence from locations such as schools, hospitals and secure units, ACC Pilling said there is “no evidence at all” that violent crime is increasing in those locations.

Instead, he said it is a “matter of internal policies insisting on the formal reporting of crime”, where this previously was not the case, which gives the force a more accurate picture of crime.

ACC Pilling said he is encouraged to see an increase in the reporting of sexual offences, something he believes has followed recent high profile cases which have given victims the confidence to come forward.

He said: “People who have suffered are suffering this kind of crime have seen justice being done. We have done a lot of work with rape support agencies to publicise what help is out there, to guide them through the court process.”

Following the release of the the quarterly crime statistics, ACC Pilling said Merseyside Police’s future challenges are protecting the vulnerable people within the community, with crimes such as child sexual exploitation, cybercrime and domestic abuse prioritised.

He added: “Despite our ever increasing challenges, Merseyside Police is committed to deliver on what our communities tell us are important to them. When crime levels in Merseyside are compared to other places around the country, it still remains a safe place to live, work and socialise. We aim to keep it that way.”

Overall nationally, police recorded crime showed no change from the previous year, with 3.7 million offences recorded in the year ending September 2014.

Police-recorded figures also showed a rise in violent crime, with 699,800 recorded incidents of violence against the person, compared with 604,100 offences in the previous 12 months.

Until recently, police-recorded crime figures had been showing year-on-year reductions.