Police have issued a response after shocking stats revealed a staggering surge in violent crime in Cannock Chase. According to concerning figures, crimes against the person shot up by '52 per cent in just a year.'

The area recorded the highest hike for violence between 2021/22 and 2022/23 across England and Wales, the data showed. Staffordshire Police now says these crime figures are 'significantly higher' due to a backlog in the reporting system.

The force said a backlog of crimes 'awaiting validation' meant figures from last year were 'artificially reduced', while stats surged this year as work got underway to validate those offences. However, the area has recorded a six per cent increase in 'crimes against the person' in the last 12 months, with tackling violence said to be a "key priority".

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In a statement, a spokesman for the force said: "In the last twelve months, we have experienced a six per cent increase in crimes categorised as ‘crimes against the person’ in Cannock. However, while our recorded crime figures for this reporting period are significantly higher than those in the reporting period for the same period in 2022, a substantial proportion of this increase relates to a large backlog of crimes awaiting validation, which artificially reduced recorded crime figures in that period.

"Between February and April, significant work was carried out to clear a crime backlog. This resulted in a number of ‘crimes against the person’ recorded in a short space of time, despite them taking place well before appearing in the dataset. This happened across the force and for the majority of crime types.

"The last twelve months show a six per cent increase. This includes the new classification of non-fatal strangulation, as well harassment, stalking, malicious communications and similar offences which don’t involve injury to a person.

The force added: "Tackling violent crime remains a key priority for officers across all ten of our local policing teams. We are committed to acting proactively, working with partners and taking robust action against those committing serious violence in Staffordshire."

Have you been affected by crime in the West Midlands? We would like to hear from you. You can contact us by emailing stephanie.balloo@reachplc.com