VIOLENT crime in Oxfordshire has increased dramatically in recent years.

Analysis of police data by The Times newspaper revealed a significant growth in violent and sexual offences across the county between 2016 and 2018.

West Oxfordshire experienced the biggest change, with 1,437 violent crimes recorded in 2018 - 67.7 per cent more than in 2016.

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There was a 57.9 per cent increase in violent and sexual offences in South Oxfordshire in the same period, with 1,958 incidents last year.

Oxford saw the highest number of incidents in 2018, according to the figures, with 4,165 violent and sexual offences recorded.

This was an increase of 43.8 per cent.

The smallest increase was recorded in Cherwell, but violent and sexual offences were still up by 37.1 per cent compared to two years earlier.

There were 2,961 crimes reported in the district in 2018, while 1,735 were recorded in the Vale of the White Horse, a 52.2 per cent increase.

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Street-by-street data for every local authority in England and Wales was analysed by The Times, which revealed violent crime was rising more than four times faster outside of London than in the capital.

'Violence and sexual offences' includes more than 300 crimes, including assault, harassment, rape and manslaughter.