GWENT had the lowest rate of homicides in England and Wales in the 12 months to March 2017, according to Home Office figures.

Gwent police recorded two murders and manslaughters, down from four in the previous 12 months.This means a rate of 3.4 homicides per million people.

The rate for South Yorkshire Police was far higher than any other area in this period as the deaths of 96 football fans at Hillsborough were included following the inquest verdicts in April 2016. The Home Office counts an offence at the time it was recorded and not when it was known to have been committed.

After South Yorkshire, the highest rate was 19.1 per million people in Greater Manchester.

The average rate for England and Wales, if the Hillsborough deaths are excluded, is 10.5 per million people. The rate has increased over the latest two periods but is still 20 per cent lower than it was 10 years ago. However, in 1967 the rate was 7.3 per million.

The figures come from a Home Office database called the Homicide Index. Analysis of the latest figures by the Office for National Statistics shows that 71 per cent of victims were men and 29 per cent women, which is a consistent pattern over many years.

Half of the female victims were killed by a partner or ex-partner. Men are most likely to be killed by a friend or acquaintance.

Child victims, under the age of 16, were most likely to be killed by a parent or step parent.

Most people are killed while in or around a house, according to the ONS. This is particularly true for women, while one fifth of male homicides happen on the street.

The most common weapon used was a knife or sharp object.

Gwent Police assistant chief constable Rhiannon Kirk said: “Whilst these figures are encouraging, we’re careful not to be complacent and our officers are continually striving for improvement. 

"Significant improvements have been made to the way we train our officers and our virtual reality hub ensures that officers develop their decision making skills in relation to subjects such as domestic violence, along with gaining experience and skills from trained professionals in our domestic abuse co-ordination team. 

"Unfortunately, some homicides are domestic related and we’ve been working hard to reduce the risks for victims, particularly repeat victims through our co-ordinated partnership approach.”