Crime has fallen over the last year in Barrow, official police records reveal.

Changes in society while coronavirus restrictions were in place led to most types of crime plummeting nationally over the period, the Office for National Statistics said.

Cumbria Constabulary recorded 5,906 offences in Barrow in the 12 months to June, according to the ONS.

That was a decrease of five per cent compared to the previous year, when there were 6,229.

At 88 crimes per 1,000 people, that was higher than the rate across England and Wales, which stood at 85.

Crimes recorded in Barrow included:

n259 sexual offences, a decrease of 27%

n2,858 violent offences, a slight decrease on the previous year

n752 incidents of criminal damage and arson, down 13%

n155 drug offences, down 14%

n41 possession of weapons such as firearms or knives, down 35%

n682 public order offences, up 24%

n1,026 theft offences, down 14%

Overall, police recorded four per cent fewer crimes across England and Wales, with around 5.8 million offences recorded in the year to June.

The fall was driven by a reduction in crime between April and June when national lockdown restrictions were in place. Robberies saw the most noticeable drop during this period (47%), while theft offences fell by 43 per cent.

In contrast, drug crimes soared by 30 per cent over the three months, with offences rising from 44,064 in April to June 2019, to 57,132 this year.

John Apter, chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said: "Although crime fell during the pandemic the pressure on the police remained.

"Policing had to adapt to a situation unlike anything we had experienced before and continues to do so even as the national lockdown was lifted and crime returned to pre-lockdown levels.

"That pressure has increased with local lockdowns being rolled out and because of the additional challenges they bring to policing."