NEARLY 75,000 crimes were recorded in Bradford in a year, new figures show.

A total of 74,980 offences - excluding fraud - were recorded in Bradford by West Yorkshire Police in the 12 months to September 2023, according to the latest Home Office data. 

The most commonly reported crimes in Bradford included violence, theft, stalking and harassment, public order offences, and criminal damage and arson.

By comparison, the force recorded 76,723 crimes in Bradford in the previous 12-month period. 

But despite the year-on-year fall, two companies - West Midlands Garage Doors and Online Marketing Surgery - have conducted analysis which they claim shows Bradford is the fifth "most perilous" area in the UK.

Bradford was behind Westminster (89,760 reported crimes), Manchester (99,397 reported crimes), Leeds (111,144 reported crimes) - while Birmingham was in first place with 152,697 recorded crimes, according to the companies' analysis.

A spokesperson for West Midlands Garage Doors and Online Marketing Surgery said: "The UK is grappling with a persistent surge in criminal incidents. 

"The implications extend beyond mere statistics - these crimes have the potential to inflict both physical and mental harm on unsuspecting victims."

The Telegraph & Argus asked West Yorkshire Police for a response to the figures and information on the work being done to make Bradford safer amid the claim of the city being one of the "most perilous" areas - but no response was given after repeated requests.

Over 1,000 arrested in crime crackdown

Overall, 307,049 crimes were recorded across West Yorkshire by the force in the 12 months to September 2023 - down from 311,225 in the previous 12 months.

Commenting on the county-wide picture, John Robins, Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police, said: "The majority of offences have seen a fall over the past year with good reductions being reported for violence with injury, public order, criminal damage and stalking and harassment. 

"We remain focussed on improving the quality of investigations and bringing more people to justice - encouragingly the number of charges achieved by the force continues to rise, increasing by more than nine per cent in the last 12 months.

"West Yorkshire Police officers, staff and volunteers continue to work hard with partners to keep our communities safe."

A force spokesperson added that a new crackdown was launched targeting wanted criminals for several offences at the end of last year.

More than 1,000 were made during the operation, with 222 people charged.