SEXUAL offences reported to Warrington police rose significantly over the last year.

Police statistics show that the number of sex-related offences reported to them increased from 148 in 1996 to 238 in 1997.

Despite the rise, police are confident that they are winning the war against offenders.

Speaking at this week's Police Forum, Detective Chief Inspector John Hester said: "Although the number of reported crimes may have gone up, we feel the actual number of offences hasn't risen.

"People now tend to be more willing to report sexual offences. Although it may make our figures rise, it allows the us to do our job better and catch more offenders.

"We don't want people to be alarmed by these statistics, but people should still be vigilant. It is important if the public see or hear things to talk to us, as we rely on that help," he said.

The creation of the Domestic Violence Unit and the high profile Massey Hall case added to the overall increase in reported crimes, he said.

Several high profile operations in the Cromwell Avenue area also netted a number of indecent exposure offenders, and more operations are planned to crack down on sexual crimes in the town.

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