The crime rates for violent and sexual offences in Hertsmere are higher than in any other part of the county, according to figures released this week.

Home Office statistics show that more violent and sexual crimes were committed per 1,000 population than elsewhere in Hertfordshire last year.

In the 12 months up to September 2000, 8.2 violent offences and 0.6 sexual offences were committed for every 1,000 people living in Hertsmere.

A total of 731 violent offences and 50 sexual offences were committed in the borough, with police solving around 50 per cent of crimes in both cases.

In terms of household burglaries, Hertsmere, with 489 offences, had a lower crime rate than the Welwyn and Hatfield and Watford areas.

However, the rate for thefts from motor vehicles, at 14.7 per 1,000 population in Hertsmere, was the highest out of the county's seven police areas.