Serious assaults have increased by almost 50 per cent in East Ayrshire, according to a latest report.

A report to East Ayrshire Council revealed that serious assaults are up by 47.1 per cent on the five-year average for the area.

The latest statistics cover the nine-month period from April 1 to December 31, 2023.

Police Scotland, who provided the report, said this rise has contributed to an overall increase of 13.7 per cent in violent crime across the area.

Cumnock Chronicle: The report covered April-December 2023.The report covered April-December 2023. (Image: NQ archive)

The number of rape crimes reported to police, 40, was the same as the same period in 2022, and above the five-year average of just under 30.

A police spokesperson said in the report: "Targeting sexual crime remains a priority for Police Scotland. Every reported incident of a sexual nature is robustly investigated.

"East Ayrshire campus officers continue to work proactively with young people to highlight reporting mechanisms and perpetrator warning signs.

"There is ongoing work to utilise campus officers in the delivery of a new educational resource, accompanied by officers from Divisional Rape Investigation Unit (DRIU) and Domestic Abuse Investigation Unit (DAIU), in schools across Ayrshire."

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The report states that 714 domestic crimes were reported during the nine-month period, compared with 657 last year.

Seven of the nine months between April and December in 2023 saw an increase in the number of domestic crimes reported, compared with same months in 2022.

The report adds that common assaults on emergency workers has reduced this year, both against the previous year and the five-year average.

Drug supply charges in East Ayrshire are 18.1 per cent lower than the five-year average.

A full copy of the report can be found on the East Ayrshire Council website.