A TOP officer has moved to reassure Dorset residents after reports showing violent crime in the county increased by almost a quarter in 2015 were released.

The statistics, compiled by the Office for National Statistics, show that reports of such crimes increased from 6,778 at the end of September 2014 to 8,806 at the end of September last year - an increase of 23 per cent.

In addition, reports of sexual offences went up 29 per cent in 12 months, from 758 in 2014 to 1,068 in 2015.

Bournemouth Echo:

But Deputy Chief Constable James Vaughan said the figures show an overall "small increase" in crime that reflects a national trend.

Crimes including burglary and theft have decreased during the same time span.

"The force has been working with Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and the police and crime commissioner during the past two years to improve the accuracy of our crime reporting," he said.

"Set against some fairly complex crime counting rules, officers and staff are now much more confident in accurately recording all crimes and incidents reported to Dorset Police, and this has been reflected in overall reported crime levels. Our expectation therefore is that this is not the beginning of a longer term uplift in the actual crimes experienced by people in Dorset. "

DCC Vaughan said officers have seen improvements in building confidence among victims to report offences when they are committed.

"Our analysis shows that increased confidence, particularly around victims of domestic abuse, hate crime, child abuse and sexual exploitation and sexual offences, has led to a welcome uplift in reporting of these crimes," he said.

"Dorset Police and partners are working harder than ever to ensure that these higher priority crimes are dealt with effectively."

The officer said reporting of "cyber-enabled" crimes is also on the rise as offences committed through the internet increase.

“Dorset remains one of the safest and lowest crime areas in the country," he added.

Police and crime commissioner Martyn Underhill said: "As well as recording crime properly, the figures also reflect an increase in sexual crime, domestic abuse and hate crime, as well as online crime now emerging in its own right.

"This is a trend we have noticed following increased confidence in reporting these offences.

"Traditional crime such as burglary, vehicle crime and anti-social behaviour have all gone down, and we need to embrace the fact that Dorset still remains a safe place to live.”