Graphic shows there is no crime wave in Great Yarmouth police chief says

This graphic shows some of the crime categories in the report (Image: Archant)

Supt Roger Wiltshire has sent out figures to council chiefs, the town's MP and the county police and crime commissioner as a response to claims there has been a spike in crime in the town.

The figures cover from March 2014 to this February and include graphs covering a wide variety of reported offences, such as burglary, robbery and violence against the person.

The graphs show the mean average figure for each month since March 2014 up until last month and this February's figures show robbery, antisocial behaviour, rape and serious sexual offences and serious violence are below the average three year figure.

Home burglary figures have shown a big fall compared to this time last year, with below ten reported.

Robbery statistics are also lower than last year with just four reported.

However while some figures are in the average bracket there are increases on last February's statistics, such as serious violence, which is blamed on drug gangs.

Drugs offences were also above the average figure last month.

Priority violent crime was also slightly above the average for last month.

Supt Wiltshire said: 'It will not be a surprise to you that crime levels are higher in Yarmouth in the summer than in the winter, given the huge influx of tourists during that time. However the graphs clearly show that there is no 'crime wave' currently being experienced.'

He added that the crime data had been affected by several factors, including more reporting of historic sex offences and drug crimes.

A change in the crime reporting rules in 2015 about malicious communications and a 24 hour reporting offences rule had also affected how data was subsequently reported.

Criticisms of a crime wave happening in the town came from Jonathon Childs, UKIP councillor for East Flegg, after it was reported a woman was sexual assaulted in the grounds of the town's minster, a man in his 60s was robbed at a town centre cash point and a woman was assaulted and robbed while walking through an alleyway.

Mr Childs said: 'I want to make it clear I am not critiquing the local police force, we must all get behind them and report any crime through the correct channels.

'We are the eyes and ears of the police and have a duty to help make our villages, towns and city's safe. 'I thank the police for the graphs and data, but I quote there is no crime wave, well looking at the graph on page seven serious violence from August to January, the words wave might need to be challenged.

'The peaks of violence are not a wave but a tsunami.

'The data shows a huge peak, I thank the police for their work against the drug gangs who bring such misery to our area, but the graph is plain to see.'

Supt Wiltshire said the peak in the serious violence graph from August to January was linked to the drug fraternity that is being addressed by the county wide Operation Gravity.