VIOLENT crime increased by more than 1,000 cases in Bolton last year, while sex offences rose by 60 per cent.

But police say they are not worried by increase, which left Bolton with the second highest number of both crime types in the region, behind Manchester.

Overall crime rose by 8.3 per cent in the town last year, according to figures released by the Office of National Statistics.

There were 18,608 crimes recorded in Bolton in 2014, compared with 17,184 the previous year.

Police say the rise in violent crime is explained by a clampdown by Her Majesty's Inspectorate Constabulary (HMIC) on how domestic violence is recorded.

The "Savile effect" — the increased confidence from victims to come forward in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal — is also continuing to have an impact.

Tony Lloyd, police and crime commissioner, said the rises were a "worrying trend".

Sex crimes increased from 319 to 510 — up 59.9 per cent — while violent crime rose from 2,815 to 3,824.

The increase in sex crimes was higher than the average for Greater Manchester of 42 per cent.

Ch Supt Shaun Donnellan, Bolton's most senior police officer, said: "The town is definitely not more dangerous than previously.

"I don't think there is much to worry about. Bolton is always one of the busiest places in Greater Manchester for crime.

"When you get year-on-year reductions for a sustained spell, you will get this sort of thing."

Increases in sexual and violent crime were recorded in every borough of Greater Manchester.

Bolton saw the second highest jump in sex crimes behind Salford.

Rochdale (433), Oldham (399) and Bury (276) all saw less sex crimes last year than Bolton.

The town had 1,049 more violent crimes than Salford, while there were 2,490 in Bury and 3,589 in Oldham.

Ch Supt Donnellan added: "HMIC came down on forces very hard last year over the recording of crime so we have improved that aspect of things.

"We have also had the Savile effect, and we have seen so many people who have been sitting on things for 10 years or more now having the courage to tell their story.

"HMIC reviewed domestic violence and found us wanting, and we have changed our practices with recording that also."

One area where crime fell in Bolton was drugs offences, which dropped 26 per cent from 712 in 2013 to 528 last year.

Four murders were recorded in Bolton in 2013, while only one was reported last year.

The levels of robbery, theft, criminal damage and arson, and shoplifting stabilised last year.

Domestic burglaries were also on the rise in the town, rising 22.4 per cent from 1,075 to 1,316.

Mr Lloyd said: “We have witnessed an about face in levels of crime. In October 2013, crime was falling, but by April 2014 crime started to rise and so began a worrying trend that is continuing today.

“Yet despite facing increasing demand, Greater Manchester Police has seen its officer numbers decimated by a swathe of government cuts that show no sign of easing.”

In 2010 Greater Manchester Police had just over 8,000 officers, which has dropped to just under 6,500 this year as a result of cuts to funding.

Mr Lloyd added: "Behind these statistics are real people – the victims – and we should never lose sight of that.

“Greater Manchester Police has done much to transform the service and target resources where they are most needed, but today’s figures show that more still needs to be done and if the projected cuts continue we will soon run out of options.”