VEHICLE crime and vandalism rose across Aireborough in January and house burglaries in Otley also increased, police crime statistics have revealed.

Reported vehicle crime in the Yeadon and Rawdon police beat doubled from December's figures to 23 recorded offences, and recorded criminal damage offences rose from 20 in January to 33 in December, the highest figure reported in 12 months.

Vehicle crime in Guiseley also rose, although December recorded unusually low crime rates, with only one vehicle crime reported that month.

The Otley South beat recorded 13 house burglaries in December, compared to just five the previous month. There had previously been more burglaries in October and November. The smaller Otley North beat, meanwhile, reported no house burglaries in January or December.

Several types of crime dropped in the Horsforth beat in January, although there were 13 house burglaries, eight vehicle crimes, eight violent crimes, 13 youth nuisance' reports. 26 of anti-social behaviour and 28 of criminal damage.

Burglary dropped in Guiseley and Hawksworth beat, with just three break-ins reported in January. There were eight burglaries in December, and in January last year, 23 were recorded.

One incident of serious violence was recorded in Otley and seven other violent crimes. There were 16 violent crimes recorded in Yeadon and Rawdon, and ten in Guiseley.

The average number of serious violent crimes per 1,000 households in Otley South beat over the past year was higher than the average for West Yorkshire, the Leeds local authority area and the Pudsey Weetwood Division.

Most other crime rates in Wharfedale, Aireborough and Horsforth fell well below the county average. But in the Bramhope beat - which takes in Pool-in-Wharfedale, Carlton and Arthington, the rate of house burglaries per 1,000 households over the past 12 months was higher than the West Yorkshire average. There were 57 burglaries reported within the beat over the past year.

There were fewer reported burglaries and criminal damage in the Bramhope beat in January this year than there were in December, however.

Burglary rates for the Pudsey Weetwood Division, which polices Horsforth, Aireborough, Pool, Bramhope and the Otley area, remain well above the country average. Horsforth's burglary rates per 1,000 households were slightly above the West Yorkshire average, with 183 house burglaries reported in Horsforth between January 2006 and January 2007.

Anti-social behaviour reported to police in the Otley South division was around half of that reported in January 2006.