A GREATER Manchester police chief has attributed a rise in the reporting of sex and crimes of violence to the 'Savile effect'.

New figures published today show recorded crime has risen in Greater Manchester in the year to September 2014, by 6 per cent.

GMP's deputy chief constable Ian Hopkins said: “We are now seeing a significant rise in the number of violent offences, domestic abuse and sexual offences reported to the force.

“The increased number of domestic abuse cases shows that more victims have confidence in the work of police in investigating these crimes."

The figures are mixed for Trafford but show that violence and sex offences was the lowest in Greater Manchester at 8.62 per thousand of its population.

Other figures include burglary at 9.71 per thousand, criminal damage at 6.40, shoplifting at 5.94, drug offences at 2.52, public order at 1.83, robbery at 0.70, while bicycle theft was the second highest in Greater Manchester at 2.42.

The figures showed a total of 3,867 sex offences were reported to police in Greater Manchester, a rise of more than one quarter from figures for the same period in 2012/2013.

Mr Hopkins explained: "As a force we have also seen an increase in the number of historic rape and sexual offences which inevitably leads to an increased demand on our officers and staff who are working their hardest to provide the best service for victims and ensuring that those dangerous offenders are dealt with appropriately.

"These victims are particularly vulnerable and historic cases specifically can mean lengthy investigations which require special care and support for victims, something which our officers work hard to ensure."

The figures are mixed for Trafford but show that violence and sex offences was the lowest in Greater Manchester at 8.62 per thousand of its population.

Other figures include burglary at 9.71 per thousand, criminal damage at 6.40, shoplifting at 5.94, drug offences at 2.52, public order at 1.83, robbery at 0.70, while bicycle theft was the second highest in Greater Manchester at 2.42.

The Greater Manchester Police's crime commissioner Tony Lloyd said that some of the rises had been the result of budget cuts.

He explained: ““I have been warning for some time about the increase in crime that we are now seeing. We saw the 20-year downward trend for Greater Manchester’s crime come to a juddering halt 12 months’ ago and since then crime has crept up and up.

"In the face of government cuts to the policing budget, this upward trend is unfortunately likely to remain, but the public can rest assured that I will continue to work tirelessly with GMP to use our dwindling budgets where they are needed most.

“GMP has worked extremely hard to transform itself in the face of reduced resources, and the dedication and commitment of its police officers and staff are to be highly commended."