DRUNKS pushed up levels of violent crime in Kent last year - but crime fell overall in the county.

In crime figures released this week, the number of violent crimes reported rose by 12.7 per cent or 2,914 offences to 25,818 offences in total.

Over the same period, from April 2004 to March 2005, there was an 11.4 per cent increase (to 22,857 offences) in violence against the person, which included a 31.6 per cent increase (2,934 offences) in less serious assaults and a 16.2 per cent increase in harassment.

Officers said many of the less serious assaults were alcohol related.

In a statement, Kent Police said: "Much of the violence committed in public places is linked to alcohol consumption.

"Schemes to tackle this problem and to help vulnerable victims of sexual crime are already running in the county."

Overall recorded crime in Kent fell by 873 offences or 0.6 per cent, with burglary in homes and non-domestice property down 6.8 per cent or 1,209 offences.

Thefts of and from vehicles were also down by seven per cent, and drugs offences were down 22.4 per cent, fraud down 13.9 per cent and other offences by 38.7 per cent.

While remaining rare, firearms offences increased, with 39 more this year than last. Police put that down largely to an increase in imitation weapons.

A 44.8 per cent increase in sexual offences is thought to be explained by new counting methods, while increased reporting has yielded an 11.9 per cent increase in domestic violence offences.

However, detection rates - those which show how many crime reports result in an offender facing justice - have fallen by more than two per cent to 22.5 per cent, although the number of offenders brought to justice, 29,024, represented an increase in numbers.

Police say new working arrangements with the Crown Prosecution Service caused a “dip in performance”, and they were now back on track.

Assistant Chief Constable Dave Ainsworth said: "Kent remains a safe county and we continue to work to stay one step ahead of the criminals, while providing an even better service to the victims of crime.

"We continue to work closely at neighbourhood level and with local communities to tackle local problems."