CRIME has risen over the last year in Ceredigion and Powys, official police records reveal.

Dyfed-Powys Police recorded 5,884 offences in Ceredigion and 9,679 in Powys in the 12 months to March, according to the Office for National Statistics.

That was an increase of 46 per cent in Ceredigion compared to the previous year, when there were 4,028. In Powys, it accounted for a 35 per cent rise from 7,193.

However, at 80.7 and 72.8 crimes per 1,000 people respectively, both counties saw a far lower rate than across England and Wales as a whole, which stood at 89.3.

Of the crimes recorded in Ceredigion over the last 12 months, 273 were sexual offences – an increase of 76 per cent from the year before. In Powys, 449 were sexual offences, up 53% from the previous year.

Meanwhile, violent crime has soared in Ceredigion and Powys, from 1,886 to 2,932 over this period in Ceredigion and from 3,243 to 4,748 in Powys.

One of the main factors behind the increase in Ceredigion was the rise in violence with injury, which rose by 63 per cent, from 390 incidents to 635.

And theft offences rose by 27 per cent, with 843 incidents recorded in the 12 months to March.

At 11.6 crimes per 1,000 people, that was far lower than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 25.1.

In Powys, one of the main factors behind the increase was the rise in stalking and harassment, which rose by 57 per cent, from 1,431 incidents to 2,253.

And theft offences rose by 17 per cent, with 1,357 incidents recorded in the year to March.

Like in Ceredigion, the 10.2 crimes per 1,000 people in Powys was far lower than the rate across England and Wales.

Crimes recorded in Ceredigion included:

  • 273 sexual offences, a rise of 76 per cent
  • 2,932 violent offences, a rise of 55 per cent
  • 618 incidents of criminal damage and arson, up 58 per cent
  • 277 drug offences, down 13 per cent
  • 42 possession of weapons such as firearms or knives, no change
  • 795 public order offences, up 64 per cent
  • 843 theft offences, a rise of 27 per cent
  • 1,224 stalking and harassment offences, up 49 per cent

Crimes recorded in Powys included:

  • 449 sexual offences, a rise of 53 per cent
  • 4,748 violent offences, a rise of 46 per cent
  • 1,076 incidents of criminal damage and arson, up 34 per cent
  • 347 drug offences, down 36 per cent
  • 50 possession of weapons such as firearms or knives, a decrease of 34
  • 1,420 public order offences, up 64 per cent
  • 1,357 theft offences, a rise of 17 per cent
  • 2,253 stalking and harassment offences, up 57 per cent