Ayrshire's top cop has responded to a significant rise in the number of reported rapes and sexual assaults across the county.

Chief Superintendent Raymond Higgins revealed almost a third of the reported crimes were historic - and said it highlighted that more victims of such crimes now trusted Police Scotland to carry out robust inquiries.

But he also warned that "hard choices" were being faced when trying to maintain effective policing within the funding available.

Figures revealed last week showed there were 40 recorded incidents of rape in the three months from April to June this year - compared to 30 in the same period during 2022.

Recorded sex crimes overall rose dramatically - from 171 in April, May and June of 2022 to 249 in the same period this year.

And while the detection rate for rapes in Ayrshire increased year-on-year, the detection rate for all sexual crimes in the area showed a big drop - from 71.3 per cent to 48.2 per cent.

Meanwhile, reports of indecent/sexual assaults saw a dramatic rise from 50 to 92.

Chief Superintendent Higgins, who recently took over the top role in Ayrshire following the promotion of Faroque Hussain to the role of temporary assistant chief constable, said: “We remain committed to supporting the communities of Ayrshire and in particular any members of the community who have been the victim of a crime.

“Whilst we recognise that the rise in sexual crime may be of concern, it is important to note that we have been able to support more victims of these types of crimes and give them the confidence in reporting those which have taken place historically.

"In the reporting period, almost a third of reported crime in this area is for historical offences. I believe that this highlights that victims of sexual crime continue to be confident that Police Scotland officers will carry out a robust inquiry, and have the confidence to report any crime against them.

“As part of our focus to support our communities we have increased our partnership working in the area with key agencies, as well as the introduction of our Safeguarding team.

“This is a challenging time for our officers and staff. They are being asked to respond to increasing and increasingly complex community and individual needs.

“Hard choices are being taken to maintain effective policing within the funding available.

"Action is being taken to achieve savings, however, areas which encounter the greatest demand and which carry the greatest risk in keeping people safe, are being prioritised for resources to ensure policing continues to address harm and protect the vulnerable.”