New figures from Devon and Cornwall Police show that reported crime rose slightly in Sidmouth during 2014.

The numbers reveal a minor, 0.7 per cent overall rise in logged incidents compared to 2013 - a total of four crimes - but there were larger increases in alleged rapes and assaults where the victim was not hurt.

However, big reductions in reports of shoplifting and more serious assaults where the victim was injured were recorded.

Sidmouth’s police sergeant Andy Squires said he was ‘very pleased’ with the figures.

He said: “To be able to return the same level of recorded crime is an achievement, given the increase in workload and decrease in available officers and the cutbacks we have got.”

Incidents logged as ‘violence without injury’ – where the victim was attacked but not hurt - rose by 38 per cent from 50 reports to 69.

The number of alleged rapes rose from three in 2013 to 10 last year.

This mirrors a force-wide increase in the number of rape allegations and reports of assaults without injury.

Sgt Squires said that the increase was likely due to a greater emphasis placed on the reporting of domestic violence.

Sidmouth bucked the trend in terms of shoplifting, with reports falling 38 per cent during the 12-month period, compared to a 1.8 per cent increase across the force area.

And the number of more serious assaults, which resulted in injury to the victim, reduced from 66 to 52 – a decrease of 21 per cent.