VIOLENT crime has risen in Dudley over the last year, despite overall levels of crime holding steady.

West Midlands Police recorded 10,827 incidents of violent crime in Dudley in the 12 months to March, according to the Office for National Statistics.

That was an increase of 29 per cent compared to the previous year.

At 33.7 crimes per 1,000 people, that was higher than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 29.9.

One of the main factors behind the increase in Dudley was the rise in stalking and harassment, which rose by 87 per cent, from 2,262 incidents to 4,227.

Offences of violence without injury were recorded 3,647 times, an increase of 19 per cent on the previous year, and violence with injury on 2,944 occasions, down by 3 per cent.

There were six homicides, which include murders and manslaughters, the same number as in the previous 12 months.

Overall, police recorded 13 per cent fewer crimes, excluding fraud, across England and Wales, with around 4.6 million offences in the year to March.

The ONS said the annual drop was helped by a "substantial" fall in crime during April last year, when the first lockdown restrictions were introduced.

The number of recorded crimes increased between July and September, it added, before decreasing again as lockdown measures were imposed toward the end of last year.

However, in March this year, recorded crime was higher than the previous year as the phased exit from lockdown started.

Billy Gazard, from the ONS Centre for Crime and Justice, said: “The coronavirus pandemic has had a significant impact on patterns of crime.

"There were large decreases in theft offences, such as domestic burglary and theft from the person, as more people stayed at home and limited their social contact."

The total number of offences in Dudley stayed level, with police recording 23,543 crimes over the course of the year.

This puts the overall crime rate at 73.2 per 1,000 people, compared to a national average of 77.6.

Other crimes recorded in Dudley included:

674 sexual offences, a rise of 7 per cent

6,639 theft offences, down 27 per cent

1,390 incidents of criminal damage and arson, down per cent

409 drug offences, up 13 per cent

241 possession of weapons such as firearms or knives, down 1 per cent

2,382 public order offences, up 56 per cent

The ONS figures did show a 28 per cent increase in stalking and harassment offences across England and Wales in the year ending in March, compared to the previous year.