RECORDED crimes in the Vale of Glamorgan have risen by 21 per cent in a year.

Figures released by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) last week revealed that there were 7,940 crimes recorded from March 2016 to March 2017 in the Vale compared to 6,558 the previous year.

This year’s figure is 2,800 more than in Merthyr Tydfil and is the second lowest number in the South Wales Police region.

The number recorded in Bridgend is slightly higher than the Vale with 8,833 and the Cardiff figure was more than 35,000 out of a total of 100,256 recorded crimes in the force area.

Compared to areas covered by other forces, the Vale number is higher than that of Blaenau Gwent, Monmouthshire and Torfaen in Gwent.

The figures show a fall in drug offences in the Vale with 199 compared to 255 the year before which is a 22 per cent decrease.

There were 38 possession of a weapon offences and 678 public order offences which has seen a rise of 78 per cent.

A total of 2,433 Vale crimes were classed as violence against the person compared to 1,878 the previous year, a 30 per cent rise.

Of these 900 involved violence with injury.

There were 2,883 theft offences compared to 2,505 the previous year which is a 15 per cent increase.

A total of 650 were burglaries, 625 shoplifting offences and 573 vehicle offences.

There was also 1,288 recorded incidents of criminal damage or arson compared to 1,150 the previous year meaning there has been a 12 per cent rise in this category.

The figures include two homicides, 237 sexual offences and 26 incidents of robbery meaning there has been just two more recorded robberies but a 16 per cent increase in sexual offences.

The figures exclude offences of fraud

Alun Michael, police and crime commissioner for South Wales, said: “In recent years we have worked hard to place the victim at the heart of everything we do and that approach is clearly working.

“It is important to note that as well as an increase in reported crime – something we actively encourage – the change in our recording methods in 2014 has also resulted in a jump in victim satisfaction in South Wales.

“While South Wales Police, and a range of partner agencies, remain committed to preventing, detecting and reducing crime, it remains encouraging that the public are clearly more confident than ever to come forward to report crime.”