The number of crimes reported in the district continues to rise while the total of solved crimes fall.

In 2018 compared to 2017, reports rates of six of the seven main crime types rose in Epping Forest, with violence against people and sexual offences jumping 25.9 per cent and 14.4 per cent respectively.

While solved rates only saw a slight decrease in the past year, the higher number of crimes given to police to work on means many more crimes lie unsolved in the district compared to 2017.

A spokesperson for Essex Police said: "Any crime is awful to experience but this data show’s it is also rare in the Epping Forest District with 81 people out of every 1,000 there reporting crime in the 12 months to November – this is below the national average.

"Crime is going up across the country but Essex remains a safe county to live and work in.

"We’ve seen a fall in the number of offences of violence with injury which is really positive and bucks the trend nationally and around the county.

"We’ve also seen a fall in criminal damage and anti-social behaviour which are the types of crime that blight communities."

The latest figures have been released after Essex's police commissioner Roger Hirst proposed raising band D council tax by £2 a month to pay for 215 more officers across the county.

The spokesperson added: "Our Operation Raptor teams, which tackle street and drugs gangs, continue to make huge in roads into these groups and the effective use of stop and search powers also sees more drugs and weapons found and seized.

"All this work is highlighted by the rise in drug offences and possession of weapons offences recorded and each one of these offences represents positive, proactive policing.

"We remain concerned about the rise in crime in Epping Forest but fewer people are effected by sexual offences, robbery and violent crime here than the national average.

"Our priorities remain on violent crime, vulnerable people, doing more for victims and, crucially, a more local and visible presence across the county.

"That’s why we’re increasing the number of police officers making Essex safer."