CRIME has risen over the last year in Conwy, official police records reveal.

North Wales Police recorded 12,199 offences in Conwy in the 12 months up to March, according to the Office for National Statistics.

That was an increase of 25 per cent compared to the previous year, when there were 9,778.

And, at 103.2 crimes per 1,000 people, that was far higher than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 89.3.

Of the crimes recorded in the area over the last 12 months, 491 were sexual offences – an increase of 16 per cent from the year before.

Meanwhile, violent crime has risen in the area, from 4,816 to 6,007 over this period.

MORE: This week's court cases in Denbighshire, Conwy, Anglesey and Gwynedd

One of the main factors behind this increase was the rise in violence with injury, which rose by 28 per cent, from 1,056 incidents to 1,351.

And theft offences rose by 20 per cent, with 1,879 incidents recorded in the 12 months to March.

At 15.9 crimes per 1,000 people, that was lower than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 25.1.

Crimes recorded in Conwy included:

  • 491 sexual offences, a rise of 16%
  • 6,007 violent offences, a rise of 25%
  • 1,354 incidents of criminal damage and arson, up 24%
  • 228 drug offences, down 35%
  • 58 possession of weapons such as firearms or knives, a decrease of six
  • 1,903 public order offences, up 58%
  • 1,879 theft offences, a rise of 20%
  • 2,309 stalking and harassment offences, up 23%