Avon and Somerset Constabulary recorded more 'honour-based' abuse offences last year, new figures show.

HBA is a crime or incident committed to protect or defend the "honour" of an individual, family or community. It can include psychological, physical, sexual or financial abuse such as forced marriage, domestic abuse and threats to kill.

Earlier this year the Government announced new statutory guidance and a legal definition of HBA would be brought in to help the police, teachers and social workers better support victims and bring more perpetrators to justice.

Charity Karma Nirvana, who supports victims and survivors of HBA, welcomed the Government's latest plans, warning HBA "remains one of the most hidden and complex forms of violence in our society".

New figures released by the Home Office show Avon and Somerset Constabulary recorded 141 HBA offences in the year to March, an increase from 96 the year before.

Meanwhile police forces across England and Wales logged 2,949 HBA-related offences in the 12 months to March, marking a 7% rise on the 2,755 recorded the previous year.

The Home Office said the rise was driven by a 35% increase in offences recorded by the Met Police – from 398 to 539 in the year to March – which itself was likely due to improved data collection through a new recording system.

Of the HBA-related offences logged nationwide in the year to March, 125 were forced marriages and 109 were female genital mutilation offences – down 38% and 2% respectively on the year before.

Around 22% of the HBA offences related to controlling and coercive behaviour, 13% to assault with injury and 10% to the rape of a female aged 16 and over. Other HBA offences involved stalking, threats to kill, kidnapping and harassment.

This summer the Government said new measures, including a legal definition of HBA, will be brought in to help authorities better support victims as part of its pledge to halve violence against women and girls.

The Home Office said this should also ensure frontline staff take these crimes seriously and help bring more perpetrators to justice.

Natasha Rattu, executive director at Karma Nirvana, said: "The rise in recorded offences, particularly within the Met, demonstrates what we have long known – where police look, they find HBA.

"It is critical that silence is not mistaken for safety."

She warned many HBA instances are not reflected in the statistics.

"HBA is not a single crime, but a pattern of control and violence often involving multiple perpetrators," she said.

"The data shows this clearly, spanning forced marriage, coercive control, sexual violence and abuse of children."

She added the Government's plans to introduce a statutory definition of HBA and cross-agency guidance, and to recognise honour as an aggravating factor in sentencing, "are vital to ensure victims are properly protected, professionals are clear on their responsibilities, and perpetrators are held accountable".

Afrah Qassim, chief executive and founder of Savera UK, which works to end HBA, said the figures are "a stark indicator" of the need for a clear, legal definition.

She said: "Such a definition would mean better identification by police, improved protection of survivors, accurate data collection and more consistent reporting, which in turn leads to appropriate resource allocation through informed decision-making.

"It is also vital that within the statutory definition and guidance, other harmful practices, like conversion 'therapy' and spiritual abuse, are recognised and accounted for.

"This would allow us to realise the true scale of the issue and ensure that survivors and those at risk do not fall through the gaps that may be left if harmful practices are not fully integrated into any definition or guidance."

A Home Office spokesperson said: "HBA is a serious form of abuse that nobody should have to experience. We are tackling it through our mission to halve violence against women and girls within the next decade.

"Our approach is focused on bringing perpetrators to justice and ensuring victims receive the support they deserve. That is why, in August, we committed to six measures to tackle HBA and help put more perpetrators behind bars."