Violent crime in Greater Manchester is rocketing, new figures show.

Greater Manchester Police recorded 41,176 violent crimes in the year up to the end of March, up by a shocking 40 per cent compared to the year before.

Reports of sex crimes have risen by 55 per cent, to a total of 4,970 last year, while allegations of domestic abuse also rose sharply (up 33 per cent to 19,621).

Overall crime in general has risen ten per cent (200,432 last year) although reports of robbery, burglary and theft have fallen.

12-month rise in violent crime 40 per cent

Chief Constable Sir Peter Fahy said: “This increase in recorded violent crimes is showing some worrying trends and placing huge demand and risk on a reducing number of staff. Many of these incidents are complex with vulnerable victims to be protected and dangerous offenders to be brought under control. We are bringing many more cases to court but keeping on top of this is getting more and more challenging.”

For more than ten years, reported crime in Greater Manchester has steadily fallen even when the Government embarked on a massive cost-cutting program to pay off the national debt.

But over the last 12 months it has started to rise and police bosses fear it could rise still further with more cuts around the corner.

GMP, which once boasted 8,200 officers, now has around 6,700. Home Office figures show the force lost 294 officers last year and hundreds more are due to leave this year, as Government cuts continue.

Number of GMP officers 294 fewer than last year

Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Lloyd, who has previously blamed the rise in reported crime on the cuts, today (Thursday) called on Prime Minister David Cameron to ‘stop chipping away at our police service’.

He said: “The public expect our police to deal with crime – but they also expect them to deal with complex issues such as domestic abuse, child sexual exploitation and the protection of vulnerable people. Local people are rightly worried about the cuts to Greater Manchester Police and those concerns are cemented today as official figures show crime continues to rise.

“The Chief Constable and I remain committed to neighbourhood policing but it’s getting more difficult to put the public’s mind at ease as officer numbers fall and demand on the police service increases.

“So today I call on David Cameron to stop chipping away at the police service, invest in public safety and make sure that policing has the money and the means needed to keep us safe.”