DOMESTIC abuse rose by 10 per cent in a year, although overall crime was down during the Covid-19 pandemic, official figures show.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), 842,813 domestic abuse-related offences were recorded by police forces in England and Wales in the year ending September 2020 - up from 769,611he previous year.

Last March, life as we knew it completely changed as the UK was plunged into a national lockdown which rose concerns over domestic abuse victims.

Since then, the country has been plunged into more lockdowns and tier systems and support networks have had to adapt to adhere to social distancing guidelines.

A Member of the Senedd has said that more needs to be done to protect those suffering at the hands of abusers.

Jack Sargeant MS has been working with the White Ribbon UK campaign which is calling to raise awareness of domestic abuse and violence.

He told the Leader: “These figures remind us that home is not a safe place for everyone and for many lockdowns have exacerbated already volatile situations and made it far harder for victims to access support networks. More needs to be done to protect those suffering at the hands of abusers and I will be raising this issue again with the Welsh Government and North Wales Police.

“As a White Ribbon Ambassador I firmly believe it is the duty of everyone to call out abuse in all its forms whenever we see it. We all have a role to play in bringing an end to domestic violence.

“If you, a family member a friend, or someone you are concerned about has experienced domestic abuse or sexual violence, you can contact the Live Fear Free Helpline 24 hours a day 7 days a week, for free advice and support or to talk through your options. The number to call is 0808 80 10 800.”

However, total police recorded crime dropped by 6% to around 5.7 million offences, driven by substantial falls during April to June, particularly in theft offences, as the country spent most of the period under strict lockdown restrictions, a report published on Wednesday said.

But the results of a separate survey carried out by the ONS show the number of victims of crime in July to September 2020 returned to a similar level as in the pre-coronavirus period of January to March following a 19% drop in April to June.

The police recorded crime figures show a 7% drop in firearms offences and a 3% dip in offences involving knives and sharp instruments in the 12 months to September last year.

Homicides, excluding the 39 Vietnamese migrants found in a lorry in Grays, Essex, in October 2019, increased 1%, from 655 to 659.

The ONS report said a 16% increase in recorded drug offences was driven by proactive police work in crime hotspots in April to June.

Stalking and harassment was also up 15% year on year, driven by a rise of stalking offences, from 23,543 to 64,265, although a change to Home Office counting rules from April 2018 may account for some of the increase.

Helen Ross, from the ONS Centre for Crime and Justice, said: "The coronavirus pandemic and related lockdown restrictions have resulted in fluctuations in the level of crime experienced in England and Wales.

"Data from the survey showed decreases in crime at the start of the pandemic, with rises seen over the summer months, specifically in theft, following the easing of lockdown measures, with overall crime now back at pre-lockdown levels of January to March 2020.

"There were also fluctuations in police recorded crime, but total recorded offences for July to September 2020 were below that seen in the same period in 2019."

The number of police recorded offences increased by 20% between April to June 2020 and July to September 2020 following a 15% decrease in the previous quarter, although the 1.5 million offences in July to September was 5% lower than the 1.6 million in the same period in 2019.

According to the ONS survey, there was a 47% rise in the number of theft victims in July to September compared with April to June, up to 1.2 million - the same as before coronavirus in January to March.

The report said an annual 3% drop in knife crime was largely down to a decrease in April to June, where offences fell 22% from 12,414 to 9,669, compared with the previous quarter, before rising 25% to 12,120 in July to September - still 3% lower than the same period in 2019.

Children's charity Barnardo's warned that offences could "erupt" once the latest lockdown is eased.

Chief executive Javed Khan said: "The coronavirus pandemic and lockdown restrictions have artificially depressed knife crime figures, which were at an all-time high before Covid-19 struck.

"During the first lockdown from April to June last year, offences plummeted by 22%, but rose by 25% again in July to September, giving us an idea of what might erupt once restrictions are lifted and life begins to return to normal.

"Children and young people have spent months out of school and away from their support networks, leaving many vulnerable to exploitation and control by criminal gangs who have seized on the disruption.

"With rising unemployment and poor job prospects, some young people are finding it hard to believe in a positive future, and see no alternative but to turn to a dangerous way of making money, carrying knives to protect themselves."