There were 73 per cent more 'violence against the person' crimes – including murder, causing death by dangerous driving, harassment and minor assault – in the district from the Manhood Peninsula to Midhurst and Petworth, in 2007/08 compared with 2002/03.

And the latest figures obtained by the Observer show a year-on-year increase in the incidents over the same period.

But a leading police chief has defended the rise, especially between 2003/04 and 2004/05, which he said was mainly because of the introduction of a new way of recording incidents called the national crime recording standard.

The new rules mean all police forces have to follow a common recording procedure and register crimes more on the balance of probabilities that they had happened rather than by means of first-hand accounts or evidential tests.

Chief Inspector Mark Eyre, District Commander for Chichester, said: "The changes have resulted in more incidents being recorded as crimes by police regardless of whether the victim wishes to pursue any action or co-operate with a police investigation.

"It is also important to remember that for recording purposes the violent crime category encapsulates not only the most serious violence offences but also a wide range of other offences including pushing and shoving, classed as common assault, rowdiness in the street – public order act offences – and persistent nuisance and harassing phone calls."

Just over half of the 1,243 incidents – 766 – in the last financial year happened in a public place, the rest were behind closed doors and included domestic violence.

Of those 1,243 incidents, 28 were classed as 'serious violence' and 431 were Actual Bodily Harm (ABH) where the victim suffered cuts or bruises.

Chf Insp Eyre maintained that Chichester was still among the safest areas in the country.

"In terms of ensuring that Chichester city centre and other public spaces remain among the safest in the country specific policing operations have been, and will be maintained," he said.

"In the year ending March 31, these ensured more than two-thirds of public place violent crimes incidents were detected, inclusive of those cases where the victim wished for no further action to taken."






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