A summer increase in vehicles being stolen for joyriding accounts for a rise in crime statistics, according to Police Commissioner Michael DeSilva.

Motor vehicle thefts shot up from 142 in the second quarter of the year to 234 in the third quarter.

Mr. DeSilva said: "In summer time the classes are out and a lot of those removals are traditional crime that peaks every summer. The rental and livery cycles are stolen for joyriding by idle teenagers with nothing better to do with their time."

However, the overall trend in such offences is down from 617 crimes in the first nine months of last year to 512 in the first nine months of this year.

Meanwhile, house burglaries have dropped from 577 to 438, business burglaries held steady at 171 compared to 170 and break-ins at tourist properties stood at 13 in the year to September compared to 16 last year.

Mr. DeSilva said: "When prolific career burglars are off the streets the numbers are down. When they are on the streets the numbers go up. I know that sounds quite simplistic but that is the reality of the nature of that crime."

Instances of criminal damage went down from 375 to 274 and thefts of property dropped from 785 to 602.

Instances of fraud and deception held steady year-on-year at 165 for the first nine months of last year compared to 160 so far this year.