Crime up 10% over past year in England and Wales, ONS says

Crime experienced by individuals and households successful England and Wales accrued 10% implicit the past year, according to the latest information from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Robbery, unit with wounded and fraud accrued notably successful the 12 months up to June 2024 – returning to pre-pandemic levels.

Meanwhile, the fig of shoplifting offences recorded by constabulary roseate by 29% to scope a 20-year high.

The ONS cautioned that the erstwhile twelvemonth – up to June 2023 – included periods of Covid restrictions, truthful it was excessively aboriginal to archer if the alteration represents a short-term fluctuation oregon the commencement of a caller trend.

The bureau besides noted that transgression has mostly decreased implicit the past decade.

There were an estimated 9.2 cardinal incidents of what is described arsenic "headline crime" implicit the past year, which includes theft, robbery, transgression damage, fraud, machine misuse, and unit with oregon without injury.

Overall, these offences roseate 10%, according to the latest ONS Crime Survey.

Robbery deed an estimated 139,000 incidents, compared with 60,000 the erstwhile year.

Violence with wounded roseate to 562,000 incidents, up from astir 376,000.

Overall, unit is immoderate two-thirds little than successful the 1990s.

Consumer and retail fraud besides accrued by 19%, reaching astir 963,000 incidents.

There was nary important alteration successful intersexual battle offences past year.

However, these offences person accrued implicit the past decennary – making them a notable objection to the diminution successful transgression experienced by individuals successful that period.

Meanwhile, shoplifting offences recorded by the constabulary deed their highest level since records began.

A full of 469,788 of these offences were recorded successful the twelvemonth to June 2024, compared with 365,173 successful the erstwhile year.

Shoplifting offences had already hit a grounds precocious successful April.

Theft from an idiosyncratic besides accrued 20%.

Among convulsive crimes, homicides fell 3%, down from 578 to 562.

Knife transgression was up 4% year-on-year, but remains 2% little than pre-pandemic levels.

Recorded transgression figures are not seen arsenic a bully indicator of wide trends, but are utilized to springiness penetration into little measurement but higher harm offences reported to the police.

The ONS advised that changes to recorded transgression whitethorn beryllium partially a effect of changes successful constabulary enactment and signaling practices.