Dating apps have been linked to more than 500 crimes in England and Wales – and almost a third are sex offences, figures show.

More than 500 people have been the alleged victims of crimes ranging from murder and rape to child abuse as a result of using popular dating apps, data reveals.

The figure comes after serial killer Stephen Port was last month convicted of murdering four men he met on gay dating websites and apps, such as Grindr.

Data compiled by almost three-quarters of police forces across England and Wales listed 523 crimes from the past five years where official logs included the words Tinder or Grindr.