THE county’s police and crime commissioner has responded to concerns after a rise in killings in Cumbria.

Peter McCall addressed questions raised by residents in the county during an online surgery, with one worried about a rise in alleged murders so far in 2020.

The crime tsar sought to allay fears that residents were no longer safe because of the increase, saying Cumbria had the lowest suspected murder rate in the north west.

He said: “We have received correspondence from a resident concerning the increase in the number of murders in Cumbria, and therefore being worried that they are no longer safe in the county. Although the homicide figure for 2020 so far does represent an increase on previous years, I would like to reassure members of the public that Cumbria has the lowest homicide rate of any of the North West forces, as well as our most similar group of forces nationally.”

Mr McCall also said that there were no regional hotspots in the county for homicides.

“Our county spans a vast geographical area and there is no indication of a regional concentration of serious violence or homicide incidents,” he said.

A man from Barrow is to appear in due to appear in court again later this year following the death of a 48-year-old man in Ormsgill.

David Greenall is alleged to have been stabbed in the liver on a Friday night in June in the Broad Close area. William Adrian Hughes, 63, was charged with murder following Mr Greenall’s death.

The defendant, of Broad Close, was remanded in custody following a hearing at Preston Crown Court

Atrial preparation hearing is due to take place on November 9, where the defendant is expected to indicate a plea.

The provisional trial date is currently scheduled for May 17, 2021 and is estimated to take five days.

Over the last year there has been rise in violent crime in Barrow. In the 12 months to March, Cumbria Police recorded nearly 3,000 reports of violent crime in the area, a rise of six per cent on the previous year.