REPORTED crime is on the rise across Oxfordshire with the number of sex offences called in the city alone increasing by almost 200 per cent in the past four years.

In total, 509 sex crimes were recorded in September last year compared to 172 in September 2012.

Figures released by the Office for National Statistics yesterday show overall number of calls to police in the county has risen by about four per cent from September 2015 to the same month last year.

In Oxford, incidents of violent crimes with injury dealt with by Thames Valley Police have increased by 46 per cent over the past four years, along with a 196 per cent increase in reports of sex offences and a 14 per cent increase in shoplifting.

But over the same period, reports of domestic burglary decreased by 41 per cent and the number of criminal damage and arson offences fell by 7.8 per cent in the city.

The upsurge in sex crimes was put down to greater awareness and more victims coming forward to the police.

Marilyn Hawes (pictured), founder and CEO of Enough Abuse UK, said it was important for the Government to invest more cash into Thames Valley Police in order to make sure the extra case load could be handled and 'thoroughly' investigated.

Oxford Mail: Enough Abuse UK CEO Marilyn Hawes. ..

She added: "I don't think sex offences have increased, they have always been there.

"More people are having the courage to say this is not my fault, I'm going to go this sorted.

"This Government needs to give more money to the police to do a better job, to get it through to the Crown Prosecution Service."

Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner Anthony Stansfeld said he had not analysed the latest crime stats for the force for September 2016, but said the general increase in crime was due to better recording.

He added fraud was a major concern to him and called for the Government to fund a national body to tackle the issue.

More than 8,600 fraud offences were recorded in the Thames Valley area between October 2015 and September last year - the highest amount in the whole of the South East.

It is understood fraud offences prove costly to local forces both in time and in cash.

Despite a host of savings made by the force since 2011, £15.6m needs to be saved this financial year, taking the total to £85m.

The Conservative PCC said: "We are recording crimes which we would have never recorded in the past. I'm concerned with the level of fraud that is simply not being investigated."

Britain's most senior police officer said the 'warning lights are flashing' over crime as the data laid bare the the scale of fraud and cyber crime across the country.

A Thames Valley Police spokesman said: “Tackling violent crime, domestic burglary and safeguarding vulnerable adults, children and young people particularly in relation to sexual offences, all remain a priority for the force.”