Crimes in Avon and Somerset are less likely to result in a charge or court appearance than they were a year ago, according to figures released by the Home Office.

The figures show there were 142,673 crimes reported to Avon and Somerset Constabulary in the year to September 2022 – 8,451 (5.9%) of which led to a charge or summons - down from 7.4% in the year to September 2021.

Of the broader types of crime, possession of weapons offences had the highest prosecution rate in Avon and Somerset, with 29.8% of crimes leading to a charge or summons.

Meanwhile sexual offences had the lowest, at just 2.7%.

Across England and Wales, sexual offences have been in the spotlight due to low prosecution rates and a surge in the number of offences recorded. Rape has the lowest charge rate across all crimes, with just 1.6% of 70,633 offences recorded by police leading to prosecution across the two countries in the year to September 2022.

More than 40% of rape investigations were closed because the victim did not support further police action.

In Avon and Somerset, the charge rate for all sexual offences has fallen from 5% in the year to September 2021.

However - there are suggestions that since 2021, thanks to Operation Bluestone - the charge rate for rape and sexual offences has more than tripled to 10%, according to internal analysis from Avon and Somerset Police.

Officers are arresting suspects at twice the rate – an average of 45 a month in 2022, up from 26 a month in 2021.

Before Bluestone, it ranked 40th out of 43 forces for its performance on tackling rape and sexual assault. Now it has risen to 22nd.

Avon and Somerset was the pilot force for Project Bluestone, a collaboration with academics which involved 'deep dive' research into data and cases in order to provide recommendations on how to increase charge rates and improve support and engagement with victims of rape and sexual assault.

Following the publication of the Government's Rape Review in 2021 which highlighted low charge rates and a lack of victim confidence in policing and the criminal justice process Operation Bluestone Soteria was launched, which involved the roll out of the Project Bluestone approach to a further 18 police forces.

For all types of crime, the figures show just 5.5% of offences in England and Wales resulted in a charge or summons in the year to September 2022.

This was down from 6% a year before – although this excludes data from Greater Manchester Police because of problems the force had recording crime at that time.

Minister for Policing, Crime and Fire Chris Philp pointed to reductions in a number of different types of crime, such as burglaries, serious violence and murder.

But he said "there is much more to do" to protect women and girls.

He added: "With huge efforts under way across the criminal justice system, we are now starting to see signs of improvement in the number of charges and prosecutions."