SEXUAL assaults are up by almost a quarter in West Dunbartonshire - and the majority are by people known to the victim.

New figures from Police Scotland showed the number of assaults jumped from 31 to 47 crimes in the second quarter of the year.

That led to overall sexual crimes being up from 104 to 115 (15 per cent) and a 23 per cent jump on the previous five-year average of 94 crimes.

But the number of attackers caught and charged has dropped and half of cases still aren't resolved.

The number of rapes dropped slightly from 28 to 27, and police said about 78 per cent of all sexual offences happen in private spaces.

Ten of the sexual assaults were by partners or ex partners, and 21 were by a family member, friend or neighbour.

And 41 per cent of those crimes were for historic offences as survivors increasingly step forward about past abuse.

But Police Scotland admitted the detection rate for rape has dropped substantially. It fell from 64 per cent to 30 per cent, but officers said this was largely due to ongoing investigations.

The overall detection rate for sexual crime has gone up but is still only 49 per cent.

Figures were presented at West Dunbartonshine Council's housing and communities committee also showed crimes of serious violence were up by 27 per cent compared to last year, with 84 crimes.

The number of serious assaults jumped significantly from 27 to 47, with 30 of those committed by people known to the victim. In 28 cases, alcohol was a factor.

The detection rate for violent crime was largely unchanged at 75 per cent, but fell for serious assaults from 85 per cent to 72 per cent.

Public disorder complaints continued to drop, down by nearly 30 per cent - that equates to hundreds of cases, with the total falling from 3,908 to 2,744.

Anti-social behaviour is down by nearly 5 per cent, but common assaults increased from 454 to 513.

Councillor John Mooney also questioned Superintendent Claire Dobson in the meeting about the closure, twice, of the Erskine Bridge because of the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior II.

But when asked why the decision was taken and at such short notice on Monday, she replied: "It's not something I would be able to discuss at a public meeting such as this."

Cllr Mooney said: "I think there are matters of public interest."

Supt Dobson said: "I appreciate it has been widely commented on in the press. I'm happy to come back to you separately."

In other statistics given to the committee, fraud crimes were up 21 per cent, housebreakings down 36 per cent and domestic abuse incidents rose from 723 to 740, and domestic abuse crimes rose by six to 420. Both figures are above the previous five-year averages.

There were 55 complaints about police, down from 81 a year earlier. Allegations against officers on duty reduced from 143 to 56 year on year.