Crime has increased year-on-year in Newham, according to police figures.

There were 36,013 reported offences during the 12 months to March 2019, Office for National Statistics data shows.

That's up by 4per cent on the previous year, when 34,466 incidents were recorded.

It means there is a crime for at least one in every 10 people living in Newham - well above average for England and Wales.

The statistics are based on crimes reported to the police, and the ONS urges caution in interpreting some of the figures.

Mark Bangs, from the ONS, said: "The picture of crime is a complex one. Overall levels of violence have remained steady but we have seen increases in violent crimes involving knives and sharp instruments."

Despite rising nationally, possession of weapons offences in Newham have dropped by 26, to 391 incidents.

These include knives, hand guns and corrosive acid.

There were 1,753 residential burglaries reported in 2018-19, up by 7pc on the previous year.

There have been two homicides, which are murders or manslaughters.

In Newham, theft increased by 8pc. Drugs related offences dropped by 6pc.

Commenting on the national figures, Chief Constable Andy Cooke, of the National Police Chiefs' Council, said: "Greater confidence to report crime and changes to crime recording contribute to some of the increases but many are real rises."

Criminal damage in Newham, which includes arson and vandalising cars and houses, has gone up from 2,221 incidents in 2017-18 to 2,315.

While violence with injury, which includes assault, GBH and wounding, has risen, this could be due to improved police recording.

Similarly sexual offences are hard to judge as many more victims are now coming forward due to a series of high profile cases.

In Newham, there were 947 incidents recorded between April 2018 and March 2019, a 2pc rise on the previous year, when 926 crimes were reported.

There were also 1,893 cases of stalking and harassment reported over the same period.

John Apter, chairman of the Police Federation, said: "These figures rightly cause alarm bells.

"For far too long, crime and policing has not been taken seriously enough."

He called for thousands of more officers.