Shoppers should be more vigilant when walking around the city centre following a surge in thefts.

Pick-pocketing and bag snatching crimes were on the rise between 2017 and 2018 with 702 thefts from a person being recorded across Hull, East Yorkshire and North East Lincolnshire - a 12 per cent increase on the previous year.

It worked out as eight thefts for every 10,000 people across the region, according to data released by the office of national statistics.

However, the trend isn't just in our region - the national statistics look the same for England and Wales, there were 98,891 thefts from the person in 2018.

Pick-pocketing and bag snatching crimes were on the rise across Hull and East Yorkshire

London saw the highest crime rate with 49 thefts for every 10,000 people while Dyfed-Powys in Wales, saw the lowest with only two thefts for every 10,000 people - just 79 crimes in total.

National Police Chiefs’ council lead for crime recording and statistics, Chief Constable Bill Skelly, said: “Once again the statistics show that overall very few people are likely to experience crime, however we know that there are real rises in serious crime, such as robbery, violence and knife crime.

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"Our tactics to tackle serious violence like targeted intelligence led stop and search, disrupting gangs and work with local NHS Trusts are showing success and we are committed to doing all we can to bring crime down.

“We are dealing with a raised terror threat, rising crime and more complex, resource-intensive cases like modern slavery, child sexual exploitation and cybercrime which is putting a strain on forces.

“Further long term funding is needed and we are working with the Home Office and Police and Crime Commissioners to make the case at the next spending review.

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“Improvement to the way police forces are recording crime continues to have an influence on statistics.”

In order to stay safe from robbery, police advice is to take extra care when walking alone at night, use roads that are well lit and relatively busy, avoiding short cuts that involve alleyways or walking across parks, and to be aware and alert to surroundings.

Police also warn people to be careful with the electronics - talking on a mobile phone, listening to an MP3 player or carrying a laptop bag shows thieves that you have something to steal.

If you think you are being followed, the advice is to cross the road or go into a shop and stay there until you're sure you're safe.

In an emergency call 999, or if you are not in danger call 101 to report the crime.

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