ROCKETING violent crime, robberies and sexual offences statistics have been dismissed by police.

The number of these offences doubled and overall crime figures in Kidderminster Police division for the 12 months to March 31 were up 33 per cent on the same period a year earlier.

But senior officers say new government rules on what is recorded as crime have distorted the true picture and insist Wyre Forest is still a safe place to live.

Chief Supt Suzette Davenport said the increase is "almost entirely attributable" to the new recording standard.

Incidents such as petrol being stolen from cars or a playground spat between children - which previously would just have been noted for information - are now logged as offences.

Violence, robberies or sexual assaults where victims do not make formal complaints now constitute crimes. So do fights where people have left the scene before the police arrive.

The figures showed violent crime up from 955 offences to 2,043, sexual offences almost doubling from 54 to 106 and robberies increasing to 76 from 38.

However, vehicle crime figures were almost unchanged at 1,686 - up just 24 - and burglaries showed a modest rise to 692 from 547.

Detection rates held up for sexual offences, robberies and vehicle crime but slumped for violent crime and burglaries. Overall, 34 per cent of crimes were cleared up.

"If the level of crime had really gone up by 33 per cent we'd all know about it. It hasn't," said Det Chief Insp Mark Williams.

"The new national recording standard has affected all categories but violent crime more than anything else.

"We foresaw this rise in advance but it's frustrating because people can't see the real picture."

Mr Williams added 30 more police officers and partnership schemes would reduce next year's figures.

"The officers are being recruited now and about 50 per cent of them will be in the division by autumn. They're going to be in frontline policing operations - prominent policing and also CID. The increase in police numbers and our work with the Community Safety Partnership in particular will make a difference."