Minster Parish Council will ask the police to explain an increase in summer crime.

It follows the latest report which shows 76 offences were recorded in the village between July 16 and August 18.

The figure includes four burglaries, 10 thefts, 24 assaults and 20 criminal damage incidents.

Speaking at a Minster Parish Council meeting, a police spokesman said in four of the assault cases, the people knew each other.

Perpetrators were known by the victims in four of the criminal damage incidents.

Cllr John Twiselton challenged the statistics, saying the figures were the worst since he started recording crime numbers in November 2014.

He outlined discrepancies between police and council crime totals, saying the increase in assaults and criminal damage was higher than reported by the force.

Cllr Twiselton called for police to calculate their reports using the timescales and calendar months on their own website.

He said this would help “form a clearer picture of the situation in Minster”.

It was also agreed the parish clerk would contact the borough commander for his views on the latest crime statistics and what might account for the increase.

Cllr Twiselton said he wouldn’t be making further comment until he had seen the chief inspector’s report.