PEOPLE released on bail in Worcestershire have committed 550 new offences in 18 months - including two attempted rapes.

The figures, obtained by your Worcester News under the Freedom of Information Act, show that between January 2006 and July 2007 a vast range of crimes have been carried out by people freed on bail at courts and by the police.

They include one case of detaining a child without lawful authority, three of sexual activity with a child, one sexual assault on a female, one failing to comply with the terms of the Sex Offenders Register and two arson.

The figures show individuals committing violent offences, including 14 of wounding and eight assaults causing actual bodily harm.

There were 12 cases of people intimidating a juror or witness, two of possessing an imitation firearm in a public place and six of carrying a blade/sharp item.

A police spokeswoman said the 414 offences carried out in 2006 were 0.4 per cent of the force's total recorded crime for that year and the 136 committed between January and July 2007 equates to 0.2 per cent.

"All of the offences listed have been dealt with through the criminal justice process," she said.

"Under the Bail Act 1976, suspects and defendants have a general right to bail unless certain conditions detailed in the act are met.

"In all cases, the decision to grant bail is made after careful consideration of all relevant factors, including an individual's current circumstances, the nature of the offence they are suspected of committing and previous offending history.

"However, there is some offending behaviour that cannot be anticipated by criminal justice agencies.

"Bail conditions are put on the police national computer where they can be accessed by all police forces in England and Wales and local officers take strenuous efforts to ensure an individual is complying with them.

"Breach of bail conditions is an offence and individuals face further penalty from the courts if they are caught breaking their conditions or of committing other offences.

"Worcestershire remains a low crime area and is one of the safest places in England and Wales."

A Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said: "Offences committed by defendants on bail is one of the factors considered by courts when deciding whether to grant further bail.

"The court has to balance the risk a defendant may pose to the public against the serious step of remanding someone in custody. Inevitably, such predictions are a matter of judgement."