Sex offences in Essex rose by a startling 23 per cent last year, bucking the overall trend of falling crime levels across the county.

The worrying news was revealed in figures published by the Home Office.

However Essex Police were quick to point out that the 783 incidents reported represented less that one per cent of crime across the county.

Police say intelligence led policing, targeting of criminals and more crime prevention measures have led to the overall fall.

In total the number of notifiable offences in Essex fell to 89,380 from April 1997 to March 1998 - the lowest since 1990.

And Essex's decrease of 9.8 per cent was significantly bigger than the national average fall of 7.8 per cent.

A further breakdown of the Essex statistics shows that robbery, burglary and vehicle crime all fell by 14 per cent - again a bigger decrease in these three categories than the national average.

An Essex Police spokesman said: "Our latest crime statistics countywide which cover the 12 months to August, 1998, and so, are not directly comparable, do, however, show the downward trend continuing with a year-on decline of 4.9 per cent.

"For the 12 months to March 1998 our breakdown figures show a drop in recorded crime of 5.13 per cent in Brentwood, 13 per cent in Ongar, 18.8 per cent in Billericay and 0.5 per cent in Wickford."

Head of Essex Police Crime Division, Det Chief Supt Lee Weavers said: "The continuing decline in offences is welcome news and every effort is being made to bring further success.

"A number of factors can be associated with the advances which have been made. These include intelligence led policing, targeting criminals and police and community crime prevention partnerships."

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