POLICE recorded more killings in Southampton last year, new crime figures show.

The Office for National Statistics's crime data shows that police recorded four homicides, which include both murders and manslaughters, in the area during the 12 months to September.

That was up from two in the previous 12 months.

Across England and Wales, the number of recorded homicides dropped by six per cent, to 617. The figures exclude people who died in terror attacks.

Police recorded 32,521 crimes of all types (excluding fraud) in Southampton over the 12 months, ​a 4.1 per cent increase on the previous year.

It meant a rate of 129 crimes per 1,000 people, compared to an England and Wales rate of 85 per 1,000.

Across England and Wales, the number of police recorded crimes rose by five per cent in the year to September, to just over 5 million offences. The figures exclude Greater Manchester, where they are recorded differently.

Knife crime hit a record high, up by seven per cent on the previous 12 months.

Meanwhile, separate figures also released on Thursday show that the proportion of crimes in England and Wales resulting in a charge or summons remained largely the same as the previous year, at 7.3 per cent in the 12 months to September.

Commenting on the national figures, John Apter, national chairman of the Police Federation, said: "Until policing has the resources it needs, these increases in recorded crime will continue to increase.

"Society has become a more violent place and the police cannot and should not be expected to fight this crime epidemic alone.

"We need more support from other areas of the public sector.

"This is not a simple problem to fix."

He reiterated calls for "long-term, sustainable funding", adding that cash pledges made by the Government are "a move in the right direction" but they are not enough to undo the "damage" of previous cuts.

Helen Ross, from the ONS centre for crime and justice, said: "In the last year, there has been no change in overall levels of crime, however this hides variations in different types of crime.

"Although the number of offences involving a knife has continued to increase, there is a mixed picture across police forces – and overall levels of violence remain steady."