Violence and sexual offences remain most reported crime in Brierley Hill

Police statistics for March this year show that 228 offences were reported, far ahead of the 64 public order cases that was second on the list.

This was followed by shoplifting, criminal damage, arson and vehicle crime, according to data on Police.UK

In total, 633 crimes were recorded in March, the latest data available, the highest figure for 12 months.

Violence and sexual offence crimes have remained at the top of the list for the last three years, with 2,921 cases, or 42.2 per cent of the total, reported in the 12 months to March and 8,302 over the three-year period.

Over that period, for nearly half, at 3,142, police said they were unable to prosecute a suspect.

The figures come as West Midlands Police say they have welcomed 3,000 new officers since October 2019, giving a headcount of over 8,000.