Violent crime has risen in Bracknell Forest over the last year, despite an overall drop in recorded offences.

Thames Valley Police recorded 2,445 incidents of violent crime in Bracknell Forest in the 12 months to December, according to the Office for National Statistics.

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That was an increase of 5% compared to the previous year.

At 20 crimes per 1,000 people, that was far lower than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 30.

One of the main factors behind the increase in Bracknell Forest was the rise in stalking and harassment, which rose by 38%, from 573 incidents to 789.

Overall, police recorded 8% fewer crimes across England and Wales – there were around 5.6 million offences in the year to December.

The ONS said the annual drop was mainly driven by a “substantial fall” in crime of 15% between April and June as the first lockdown restrictions were introduced.

While police-recorded crimes increased from July to September as restrictions were gradually eased, they fell again in the last three months of the year as lockdown measures were reimposed, it added.

Sophie Sanders, of the ONS Centre for Crime and Justice, said: “There were fluctuations in the level of crime experienced in England and Wales throughout 2020.

“Although a small proportion of these fluctuations will be the result of seasonal effects on crime trends, the majority can be attributed to the introduction and subsequent easing of national lockdown restrictions throughout the year.

Bracknell News:

“Most crime types have seen recorded offences fall year-on-year.

"The notable exceptions are drug offences, because of proactive police activity in crime hotspots during the first lockdown, while violence against the person also saw a small increase.”

The total number of offences in Bracknell Forest fell by 4%, with police recording 6,534 crimes over the course of the year.

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This puts the overall crime rate at 53.3 per 1,000 people, compared to a national average of 80.8.

Other crimes recorded in Bracknell Forest included:

247 sexual offences, a decrease of 17%

2,144 theft offences, down 22%

732 incidents of criminal damage and arson, up 5%

233 drug offences, up 31%

72 possession of weapons such as firearms or knives, up 80%

476 public order offences, up 47%

Crest Advisory, a criminal justice consultancy, said it is not surprising that crime patterns were "hugely affected" by the unprecedented restrictions of the pandemic.

But it noted that drug offences across England and Wales rose by 15% and there was a 7% increase in the number of domestic abuse-related offences recorded by police in 2020.

Danny Shaw, head of strategy and insight at the organisation, added: "The rise in drugs offences was principally due to greater police activity in tackling dealers and organised crime gangs, who were also easier to spot with fewer people out on the street.

"The increase in reports of domestic abuse may well be linked to lockdown, when people in abusive relationships were forced to spend long periods together."