Offences in some of the most serious categories of recorded crimes have doubled or tripled over the last four years in Wiltshire, according to newly released government figures.

They include violent crimes, sexual assaults, and public order offences.

Recorded instances of rape more than tripled over the time frame, with 548 recorded in the period from October 2016 to September 2017. Over the same period in 2012/13, 168 rapes were recorded.

A similar trend has been seen with other sexual offences, with a 117 per cent increase between the two periods.

Crimes of harassment saw the most significant leap between the two periods. Between October 2012 and September 2013, 112 crimes were recorded; in the same period last year, 1,848 were recorded.

Violent crimes saw sustained year-on-year increases, with those recorded as ‘violence without injury’ doubling between 2012/13 and 2016/17, and ‘violence with injury’ increasing 64 per cent. Over 10,000 violent crimes were recorded in Wiltshire last year.

Possession of weapons offences, while relatively uncommon – 282 were recorded last year – also more than doubled over the time frame. Public order offences increased by 178 per cent.

A spokesman for Wiltshire Police said: “The figures reflect the improvements in the way we record crime, coupled with the fact that people, generally, have a greater confidence in reporting incidents today. This is particularly relevant when looking at reports of sexual offences, a type of crime we know has been greatly under-reported in the past.

“A good example: harassment figures have jumped due to the recording process changing and more people coming forward to report this type of crime.

“However, we are never complacent and remain focused when it comes to tackling all crime.

“We would always encourage people to contact us if they feel they have been a victim of crime or anti-social behaviour by either phoning 999 in an emergency, or 101.”