CRIMES caused by excessive boozing have significantly increased in the past year, according to a new report.

The study, carried out across England's 354 local authorities, shows drinkers in Dartford have totted up more than 1,600 crimes because of alcohol between April last year and April this year.

In comparison to the south east's 66 other boroughs, Dartford was ranked in 26th place for sexual offences caused by drinking - an increase of almost 38 per cent on the same period last year.

Violent crimes caused by booze were up by 27 per cent after 645 Dartford drinkers used their fists after hitting the bottle.

The report, conducted by the North West Public Health Observatory and Liverpool John Moores University, also revealed almost 550 men and women were admitted to hospital with alcohol-related illnesses.

The borough's men wiped an average seven months off their life expectancy because of excessive drinking and 60 died from chronic liver disease in 2004.

Bob Samworth, co-founder of Welling Alcohol Service Provision, counsels people from Dartford with alcohol problems at the group's clinic in Central Avenue.

The 58-year-old recovering alcoholic said: "What people don't realise is you can get into a lot of trouble with alcohol and I think it will get to a point where it comes with a warning.

"It is all about education, education, education and until they start going into schools and telling children it can be as bad as drugs the problems will continue."

He added: "There has always been a link with alcohol and crime but the rise is high, although it may be because it is being taken more seriously and figures are being recorded more accurately."

Dartford's results were among the national average but increase rates in comparison to the previous year were significantly higher.

Police dispute the findings and say incidents of violence throughout north Kent have reduced significantly compared to last year.

Between July 24 and August 7 it says there were 92 fewer incidents than during the same period last year.

Chief Inspector David Cooper from Kent police said: "With many different factors influencing reported violent crime, such as an increased police presence on the streets at night dealing with sporadic violence and the actions we have taken, it is impossible to draw conclusions at this time."