STREET robberies, sex attacks and car crime have risen across Ealing over the past year, figures released by the Met showed this week.

While overall crime in the borough has gone, down personal robbery in particular, a focus area for the borough police, has risen from 1,886 cases to 2,280 over the last year - an increase of more than 20 per cent.

Motor vehicle crime, another police priority, has risen by 169 reported cases - despite a campaign for drivers to keep their valuables hidden.

And while it was half as likely a resident would be raped over the last year, other sex crime has risen by from 225 cases to 263.

Ealing police spokesman Chris Mullally told the Ealing Times that following initiatives introduced at the start of the year the borough was topping the tables in terms of crime reduction.

"For the final quarter of the financial year we have been either running in the top three or top four best boroughs in terms of reduction of street crime," he said.

"There are some challenges ahead but overall crime is down.

"There has been a slight rise in motor vehicle theft. That is concerning because we have done an awful lot of good work in that area.

"Robbery is another challenge for us. There has been an increase but a large amount of that is school boy robberies - mobile phone and lunch money being stolen.

"We will be working tirelessly with the schools in terms of crime prevention for the kids and there will be a meeting with all the heads of the schools in the next couple of months.

"We are very happy with the results we have achieved but we couldn't achieve them ourselves. It is through the police, the community and other agencies working in tandem."

Overall there were 561 less crimes committed in the borough with violence against the person dropping by three per cent, business robberies falling by 40 per cent and burglaries falling by 21 percent.

Mr Mullally said police would focus on antisocial behaviour and criminal damage across the borough next year.

Across London the Met has reported that crime fell from 984,125 reports to 921,779 - a drop of around 62,000.

But Len Duvall, chair man of the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA), admitted the recent spate of violent crime among youths was still a concern.

He said: "Although we're moving in the right direction we've not taken our eye off the ball and realise that there is still more to do.

"While these new figures indicate gun and knife enabled crime and murders are at an historic low, the recent tragic deaths of a number of young people clearly shows the need for the police to join with other agencies across the capital to tackle the issue strategically."