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

One of the main factors behind the increase was the rise in stalking and harassment, which rose by 21%, from 549 incidents to 663.

Surrey Police recorded 1,943 incidents of violent crime in Waverley in the 12 months to September, according to the Office for National Statistics.

That was an increase of 3% compared to the previous year.

At 15.4 crimes per 1,000 people, that was far lower than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 32.3.

Around 5.8 million offences were recorded across England and Wales in the year to September – a 2% rise compared to the previous year – though there was a 1% drop to 4.9 million offences when excluding cases of fraud and computer misuse.

The total number of offences in Waverley fell by 4%, with police recording 5,646 crimes over the course of the year.

This puts the overall crime rate at 44.6 per 1,000 people, compared to a national average of 82.4.

Other crimes recorded in Waverley included:

205 sexual offences, a rise of 8%

1,755 theft offences, down 8%

700 incidents of criminal damage and arson, down 14%

158 drug offences, down 8%

Police forces across England and Wales logged the highest number of rapes and sexual offences in a 12-month period in the year to September, the figures show.

Around 63,100 rapes were recorded in the year to September, according to the Office for National Statistics, up 13% from the previous period (56,100).

This was the highest recorded annual figure to date and included 17,400 offences between July and September – the highest quarterly figure.

The ONS said the latest figures may reflect several factors, including the “impact of high-profile incidents, media coverage and campaigns on people’s willingness to report incidents to the police, as well as a potential increase in the number of victims”, and it urged caution when interpreting the data.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “Nobody should have to experience the horror of rape and other sexual crimes.

“It’s encouraging that more victims of sexual violence are coming forward, and we’ve been clear that police must raise the bar in handling such cases so victims know that they will be taken seriously and criminals responsible are put behind bars."