All types of crime have gone up in Ealing, Home Office figures revealed last week.

And Ealing's police chief believes this is partly due to the growing affluence of the area, and country as a whole.

'There are now more products to steal,' said Ealing borough commander, Chief Superintendent Peter Goulding. 'For example mobile phones, often carried by younger people who are vulnerable.'

He also said that there are a higher number of youngsters of peak offending age, 15 to 19, in the borough.

Muggings have risen most sharply gathering a 45 per cent increase in 1999-2000 compared to 1998-1999. They went up from 1,306 between April 1998 and 1999, to 1,901 between April 1999 and 2000.

The total number of crimes across the borough rose more than 12 per cent from 34,386 to 38, 737. That raises them from an average of 94 a day to 106.

But Mr Goulding said that crimes have gone up all over the country, and in many places more than in Ealing, and that his officers had in fact been doing a very good job.

'Obviously a rise in crimes is never good, but the number of judicial disposals ,, that is a success in an investigation ,, has also increased.

'We have fewer officers and more crimes, the staff have been working very hard.'

Ealing and Southall, now under one commander, is designated 611 officers by the Metropolitan Police, but currently only has 580 serving, 70 per cent of which are front line uniformed staff, and 20 per cent of which work on crime investigation matters.

But Mr Goulding is hoping this situation will improve.

'There are always fluctuations in officer numbers as people are promoted and naturally move forces,' he said.

'But we anticipate an increase in the number of officers over the next few months as the Met is currently reorganising to reduce bureaucracy and get rid of a tier of staff.

'This should give us more front line officers.'

It is also hoped that the Met designation for officers will increase this year to 622.

æViolent crime went up from 5,755 to 6,652, an increase of more than 15 per cent.

æMurders went up from just two in 1998-9 to seven in 1999-2000.

æSex crimes went up more than 10 per cent from 345 in 1998-9 to 380 the following year.

æBurglaries stayed largely steady, rising just 1.7 per cent from 4,539 to 4,616 last year.

æVehicle Crime went up from 9,739 to 10,145, just a 4.2 per cent increase.