CRIME is costing the region's taxpayers £3.2bn a year according to Home Office figures.

The Home Office worked out the cost of crimes including burglary, wounding, sex crimes, robbery and murder. On average, an offence recorded by the police costs £11,321.

This includes the health costs to the victim, the reduction in their ability to work and costs of the NHS, police, courts prosecutors and prisoners.

In Yorkshire and Humberside, the bill comes to £7.6bn and London £12.3bn.

A Home Office spokesman said: "The economic cost of crime has fallen by five per cent since 1999 and we working to reduce that."