Police record 4% fall in crime

20/01/12

By Steven Birch

Police in England and Wales recorded 4.1 million crimes during 2010/11, which is a 4 per cent fall on the previous year, figures have shown.

The British Crime Survey (BCS) found that falls across all crime offence groups - apart from robberies and thefts - were behind the decline.

By contrast, robberies and thefts both rose by 4 per cent, driven by a 13 per cent surge in the Metropolitan Police area and a 10 per cent increase in the West Midlands.

The BCS results showed that around 50 per cent of total robberies took place in London, covering the theft of items such as cash, bags and smartphones.

Meanwhile, researchers behind the report pointed out that the 4 per cent fall in overall crime figures represents "no statistically significant change" compared to the previous 12 months.

However, the figures revealed an 11 per cent increase in personal crimes, which has been highlighted by Labour as a problem.

The BCS estimates revealed that the number of personal crimes, including theft and violence, grew from 3,525,000 to 3,901,000 over the 12-month period.

A Labour source drew particular attention to this issue and explained that the party is "very concerned" about the rise, which is believed to be the biggest for 10 years.