The crime rate in Blackburn with Darwen increased by more than 12 per cent in May, figures show.

Data from police.uk shows 1,727 crimes were committed in the borough in May – a 12.5 per cent increase from April when 1,535 crimes were recorded.

Violence and sexual offences again topped the list, making it five months in a row and posting a significant increase.

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

Using the data, it is 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, there were seven increases and seven decreases.

Statistically, the biggest increase was in bicycle theft, which doubled from three to six in the last month.

  • Violence and sexual offences – 475 (Apr) – 613 (May) – up 29.05 per cent
  • Anti-social behaviour – 407 (Apr) – 514 (May) -  up 26.28 per cent
  • Shoplifting – 111 (Apr) – 65 (May)  - down 41.44 per cent
  • Criminal damage and arson – 107 (Apr) – 124 (May) -  up 15.88 per cent
  • Vehicle crime – 94 (Apr) – 91 (May) - down 3.19 per cent
  • Other theft – 91 (Apr) – 72 (May) - down 20.97 per cent
  • Public order – 82 (Apr) - 89 (May) – up 8.53 per cent
  • Burglary – 69 (Apr) - 48 (May) – down 30.43 per cent
  • Other crime – 30 (Apr) - 43 (May) – up 43.33 per cent
  • Drugs – 29 (Apr) - 29 (May) – No change
  • Possession of weapons – 18 (Apr) - 21 (May) – up 16.66 per cent
  • Robbery – 13 (Apr) - 8 (May) – down 38.46 per cent
  • Theft from person – 6 (Apr) - 4 (May) – down 33.33 per cent
  • Bicycle theft – 3 (Apr) - 6 (May) – up 100 per cent

It was a similar story in three other East Lancashire boroughs.

The biggest increase elsewhere was in Hyndburn, which went up by 11.23 per cent from 970 crimes in April to 1,079 in May.

In Pendle the increase was from 817 to 830, going up by 1.59 per cent, while Burnley's crime rate went up by 0.97 per cent from 1,236 to 1,248.

In Rossendale, the rate went down by 0.74 per cent from 674 to 699, while the biggest drop was in Ribble Valley, going down by 8.51 per cent from 329 to 301.