OVERALL crime has risen on Merseyside, despite a fall in the number of reported burglaries, theft and drug offences.

There were 97,244 crimes recorded by Merseyside Police in the year to March, a 4.2% rise from the previous year, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics.

This means an extra 3,896 crimes have been reported to the force in that period.

Nearly 2,000 sexual offences were recorded between April 2014 and March 2015, up 39% from the previous year – Merseyside Police said this is a result of increased reporting following a number of high profile cases.

The number of domestic burglaries and robberies dropped, something Assistant Chief Constable Ian Pilling said is pleasing given the reduction in police resources.

He said the decrease in drug offences – down 17% - is also welcome.

Merseyside Police said it is committed to tackling the serious and organised criminals involved in the supply of illegal drugs on Merseyside and will be “relentless” in their efforts to target those involved.

ACC Pilling said: “After a period of years of annual reductions in overall crime, we are naturally disappointed to see a slight increase this year. Part of that increase has been caused by an increase in the number of vehicle crime offences, public order and violence.

"The increase in violence offences is something we have looked at carefully and I should highlight that while minor assaults have increased, more serious violence has remained almost static.

"We believe that we are seeing more victims come forward, particularly those who are victims of domestic assaults, and we know that we record many more crimes than was previously the case due to our rigorous application of the Home Office Counting Rules. I do not believe that Merseyside has become a more violent place and we still compare well with other parts of the country. We are proactively working to help protect our communities from these types of offences and trace offenders.”

Acc Pilling added: "Overall, crime across Merseyside remains at a low level compared to previous years and we remain absolutely committed to doing everything we can to provide the best possible policing service for the communities we serve by bringing offenders to justice, supporting victims and protecting people across Merseyside.

"We are advancing our fight against serious and organised crime with the Matrix Serious and Organised Crime team (MSOC). We have always stood firm in our promise to tackle these issues and this will continue.

"This is combined with the dedication of our officers, who respond to incidents with courage, courtesy and professionalism, which we hope will build upon strong public confidence and keep our communities safe. We recognise that we cannot be complacent and will continue to act with openness, honesty and integrity and strive to find the most efficient and cost effective way to deliver policing in Merseyside."