The crime rate in Blackburn with Darwen increased in the first month of the year having consistently fallen for three months at the end of last year.

Data from police.uk shows 1,476 crimes were committed in the borough in January – a slight increase compared to December where only 10 fewer crimes were recorded.

As with the previous month, violence and sexual offences topped the list for recorded crimes, though did drop slightly from December, falling to 530 instances from 539.

READ MORE: Every crime in Blackburn with Darwen in December mapped

Using the data, it’s possible to map exactly where each crime took place in the borough and to determine how many instances of each crime there was.

Of the 14 crimes listed in the data, half reported increases, six reported decreases, and one stayed the same.

The biggest percentage increase was robbery, which went up by more than 70 per cent between December and January.

The other crimes changed as follows:

  • Violence and sexual offences – 539 (Dec) – 530 (Jan) – down 1.6 per cent
  • Anti-social behaviour – 314 (Dec) – 347 (Jan) – up 10.5 per cent
  • Criminal damage and arson – 97 (Dec) – 107 (Jan) – up 22.98 per cent
  • Shoplifting – 102 (Dec) – 106 (Jan) – up 3.92 per cent
  • Vehicle crime – 79 (Dec) – 87 (Jan) – up 10.12 per cent
  • Public order – 74 (Dec) – 73 (Jan) – down 1.35 per cent
  • Other theft – 110 (Dec) – 69 (Jan) – down 37.27 per cent
  • Burglary – 73 (Dec) – 63 (Jan) – down 13.69 per cent
  • Other crime – 23 (Dec) – 23 (Jan) – no change
  • Possession of weapons – 18 (Dec) – 16 (Jan) – down 11.11 per cent
  • Theft from person – 6 (Dec) – 8 (Jan) – up 33.33 per cent
  • Bike theft – 9 (Dec) – 2 (Jan) – down 77.77 per cent

 

In the rest of East Lancashire, four other boroughs also reported increases in crime.

The biggest increase was in Hyndburn, which went up by 5.69 per cent from 808 crimes in December to 854 in January.

Rossendale was the next biggest increase at 3.64 per cent, going up from 548 to 568, while Burnley’s crime rate increased by 3.54 per cent from 1,044 to 1,081.

In Pendle, the crime rate increased by 3.50 per cent from 684 to 708.

Ribble Valley was the only borough to see a drop, going down by 5.75 per cent from 278 crimes in December to 262 in January.