RECORDED crime in North Yorkshire has risen by nine per cent, and residents should expect to see it rise further, the Police and Crime Commissioner has said.

The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show the recorded crime levels for police forces around the country for the 12 months ending June 2018, and show crime across Yorkshire and the Humber rose by just over 10 per cent.

On a crime-by-crime basis, the biggest increase was seen in the relatively new listing of stalking and harassment, which saw a 47 per cent increase, but there was also a 22 per cent rise in weapons possession, a 20 per cent rise in violence against the person, and a 15 per cent increase in vehicle offences in North Yorkshire.

Police and Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan said the figures showed North Yorkshire remained the safest place in the country, and although the increase in recorded crime "will concern many people", the public should expect to see crime rates increase as recording methods change.

York Press: Julia Mulligan, North Yorkshire's police and crime commissioner

Mrs Mulligan said: "While any rise gives cause concern, I want to also set out that we are currently going through a process of ensuring all crimes that do take place are properly recorded – by ensuring the police log every offence in the right way, as well as complying with national changes which require more crime to be recorded. I know this will lead to an increase in recorded crime, and I want to be clear that I expect that figure to continue to rise as we go through this vital process.

"I want to reassure residents that, in many cases, we are not seeing more crime, we are just becoming better at recording it. Transparency and integrity are central to how we do things in North Yorkshire and it is crucial the police get this right so we have statistics we can rely on. I will be holding the Chief Constable to account to that end. So, whilst this might be a difficult process, it will help the police tackle crime and ensure resources are allocated appropriately in the future."

The county’s overall crime rate of 49.7 per 1,000 of the population is the lowest nationally, and is significantly lower than the average of 84.7 per 1,000 across England and Wales.

Chief Constable Lisa Winward said: "There has been an increase in recorded offences, but this is also slightly lower than the national average.

"Here in North Yorkshire we’ve been looking closely at how we record crime and have recently introduced a range of new measures to ensure we are detecting and investigating offences more effectively. This work is ongoing, and while it will naturally influence the county’s crime levels, it is the right thing to do to ensure victims continue to feel confident about reporting offences to us."

The figures also show a 12 per cent fall in bicycle theft, a one per cent fall in burglary, and a six per cent increase in drug offences.

The figures show a total of 40,782 crimes were recorded by North Yorkshire Police in the 12 months to June 2018, with theft offences making up the majority of them - 16,822 - followed by violence against the person - 11,811 - and criminal damage and arson - 5,934.