HOUSE burglaries are on the rise in Surrey for the first time in 10 years alongside a dramatic upsurge in possession of weapons offences, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The latest ONS figures show total recorded crimes in the county increased eight per cent in the year to March 2017, with 63,698 crimes recorded between April 1, 2016 and March 31, 2017.

This is less than the average 11 per cent rise recorded in the South East, nationwide in England and Wales, and in neighbouring Sussex, while Hampshire saw crimes increase 13 per cent.

However, several crime categories far outstripped the national averages in Surrey, including eye-catching rises in:

• Public order offences - 6,641 offences, up 42 per cent (39 per cent in England and Wales).

• Possession of weapons - 416 offences, up 41 per cent (20 per cent nationally).

• Domestic burglaries - 3,120 offences, up 31 per cent (six per cent nationally).

• Theft from the person - 435 offences, up 28 per cent (six per cent nationally).

• And bicycle theft - 1,194 offences, up 18 per cent (nine per cent nationally).

It is the first time domestic burglaries have increased in Surrey in 10 years, and as a direct result Surrey Police has been seeking to address the increase through “a variety of means”.

These include improving intelligence of problem offenders, deploying forensic marking kits and focusing resources on the criminal gangs responsible for many burglaries in the county.

Since May, this has resulted in more than 40 arrests related to burglaries and officers are currently pursuing a further 43 outstanding suspects. Last month the force saw a nine per cent reduction in this increase of burglaries.

With regard to the 41 per cent increase in possession of weapons, the force has blamed the hike on an “increase in knife offences”, with an additional 92 offences recorded in Surrey last year.

A Surrey Police spokesman said: “We have been proactively using targeted stop and search powers to help tackle the rise of offensive weapons and we are currently taking part in a national knife amnesty.

“Our message to those who carry a knife, or are thinking of carrying one, is that a knife does not protect you, will make you more vulnerable placing you in danger of serious harm – and we are actively targeting you.”

It has also been revealed this week that Surrey Police remains among the worst forces in the country for solving crimes - charging somebody in just nine per cent of the crimes it investigated.

The majority of cases reached an outcome in 30 days, but rape victims can expect to wait an average of 144 days before an outcome is achieved.

The ONS stats did, however, reveal that both non-domestic burglary (2,853 offences - down seven per cent) and drug offences (1,920 offences - down 13 per cent) decreased over the 12 months, and the force has also highlighted its improving record on sexual offences.

Last year there was an increase of three per cent for reported sexual offences, with 1,775 cases recorded. But this is considerably less than the average 14 per cent rise seen nationwide and Surrey remains the county with the fewest serious sexual assaults per 1,000 residents.

Detective Chief Inspector Tim Shaw, force lead for rape and serious sexual assault, said: “We’ve come a long way from the critical findings of previous reports from HMIC in 2015 and this improved ranking highlights the continued commitment we have all made to pursuing dangerous offenders and protecting some of our most vulnerable victims.

“We need to build on this momentum and focus on ensuring that alongside our investigative work we are also providing the best possible support and guidance to safeguard our victims.”

The most common crime in the county is theft, with 24,562 offences recorded (an increase of four per cent), followed by ‘violence against the person’ (18,005 offences - up 12 per cent) and ‘violence without injury’ (11,684 - up 16 per cent).

Other recorded offences included five murders (no change), 292 robberies (up 11 per cent), 4,684 vehicle offences (up six per cent), 3,982 incidents of shoplifting (up one per cent), and 8,914 of criminal damage and arson (no change).

• Surrey Police also re-launched its Policing Matters campaign this week, aiming to improve public knowledge about what is and isn’t a policing matter.

After an initial decline in calls following the last campaign in March 2016, the force has noted a slow and steady increase in non-policing matter related demand and is reminding the public to think twice before they call and consider ‘Is it a Policing Matter?’.

Assistant Chief Constable Nev Kemp said: “The demand on policing is rising and as the recent ONS crime stats show, last financial year the force saw an eight per cent increase in recorded crime.

“Our latest year to date statistics show a 5.4 per cent increase in high harm offences (serious sexual offences, domestic related offences involving violence, child abuse offences and hate crime offences) which is where we must focus our efforts and support the most vulnerable people in our community.

“Alongside the increasing demand on our service, we estimate that approximately 20 per cent of the calls we receive aren’t a policing matter to deal with.

“In most cases we know that members of the public don’t know who to call and so they call us. But instances of things such as fly-tipping, inconsiderate parking and noise pollution are all things for your local council to resolve while concerns regarding mental health issues are generally more appropriately dealt with by a health care provider.”