ALMOST a dozen fraudsters in Cumbria went on to re-offend within the space of just one year, figures reveal.

Fraud prevention group Cifas warned that the crime can be "devastating” for victims.

Figures from the Ministry of Justice show that 49 adults were released from prison, cautioned or handed a non-custodial conviction for fraud at court between July 2019 and June 2020 in Cumbria.

Of them, 10 committed at least one further crime within 12 months.

A year previously, 20 out of 93 fraudsters reoffended.

Across England and Wales, around one in five fraud offenders reoffended within a year of their release or conviction in the year to June 2020 – compared to just 13.9% in the year to June 2010, when these figures began.

This rise was the second biggest of all types of crime, behind violent offences.

In Cumbria, 27.5 per cent of all offenders broke the law again within a year – down from 28.5 per cent the year before.

Between them, the 853 reoffenders racked up 3,162 new offences – an average of 3.7 each.

At 46.9 per cent, reoffending rates were highest for public order offences in the area.