BOSSES sexually assaulting their staff in North Somerset has led to the number of incidents rising by up to 400 per cent

BOSSES sexually assaulting their staff in North Somerset has led to the number of incidents rising by up to 400 per cent.In the run up to the festive season in November the number of people charged with sexual offences across the local authority area was four times higher than in the same month the previous year.Chief Superintendent Julian Moss says of the 22 arrests for crimes including indecent assault, acts of unlawful sexual intercourse, incest and charges of bigamy and abuse of position of trust that month, only one was a sexual assault on the street and the remaining 95 per cent were a combination of 'work place issues' or ones where the offender was known by the victim.The figures also include five sexual assaults on females under 12 and two offences of male rape on a boy under 16.Chief Supt Moss said: "The bulk of the increase in sexual assaults in November were assaults on females over 12. "There were nine such assaults and ten is the number where it is classed as statistically significant."Of all the offences only one was a sexual assault on the street and a significant number were indecent assaults by bosses on their staff."The volume of offences does concern us and if there is an increase again when December's statistics come out it is obviously not just a blip."In total the number of sexual offences carried out between April and November 2006 has gone up nearly 50 per cent, compared to the same period in 2005.Chief Supt Moss added: "Back in August and September we had a peak of offences which was statistically significant. This is because we had a flasher around at that time."Since May 2006 a sexual assault team has been in place in North Somerset. It is made up of one sergeant and 10 police constables who deal with rape or serious sexual assault.