Hit-and-run cases in the first six months of this year have already doubled those registered in 2012, official figures show.

A breakdown of all criminal offences investigated by the police since 2011 shows hit-and-run incidents have been on the rise, marking year-on-year increases.

Nearly 7,000 hit-and-run cases were reported to the police over the past four years, making up around half of all the damage related offences investigated. Some 2,260 of these were committed last year, nearly the same amount committed last year.

Earlier this month, Transport Minister Joe Mizzi called on motorists to hit the brakes on reckless driving after a series of dangerous driving incidents hit the headlines.

The most recent incident saw an 18-year-old woman seriously injured when a car hit her in Msida only to speed away immediately after the accident.

Police investigated six cases of property damage from explosives

In August three hit-and-run cases were investigated. One saw two pedestrians injured; the others damaged other parked vehicles.

Damages caused to private and public property were among the main crimes investigated by police, but the methods used to damage property in the first place are sometimes unconventional.

Police have investigated 150 incidents where property was damaged using acid. Only five of these acid attacks were accidental, with the remaining cases termed “wilful violations”.

Meanwhile, police also investigated six cases where property was damaged through being blown up using explosives.

Nearly 1,000 reports were filed with the police after property was damaged with paint and another 30 were reported damaged after they were shot with a firearm.

The majority of damage cases were done using undisclosed methods, with the police investigating more than 7,600 cases of “other” damage.