The number of violent offences recorded by police in England and Wales reached almost 300,000, with the most serious crimes increasing by 11 per cent. The overall number of crimes recorded by the police fell by 5 per cent in the last quarter of the year compared with the same period in 2003.

Figures from the separate British Crime Survey, which interviews 40,000 people on their experience of crime, show an 11 per cent fall in overall crime.

An estimated 3,210 violent offences a day are recorded in England and Wales and, if estimates of underreporting are taken into account, the figure could be as high as 12,840. The rise in recorded violent crime, along with an increase in the percentage of people who think people being drunk and rowdy on the streets is a problem, forced ministers on to the defensive during the election campaign.

Charles Clarke, the Home Secretary, promised new legislation to tackle the use of imitation firearms and knives on the streets if Labour is re-elected. He told a press conference shortly before the crime figures were published that a violent crime reduction Bill would be introduced within weeks if Labour won the election.

It would tackle the ownership and use of replica firearms and knives, propose tougher sentences for knife and gun crime and new measures on antisocial behaviour.

The Prime Minister said that crime had fallen under Labour but added: “We know that for many people in local communities it doesn’t feel like that.”

Michael Howard rounded on Labour’s record. “The figures are there to be seen and the figures speak for themselves. The police’s own figures demonstrate with absolute clarity that violent crime has been increasing very fast under this Government,” he said.

The total number of crimes recorded by police in the 43 forces in England and Wales in the last quarter of 2004 fell by 5 per cent to 1.3 million. Violent crimes rose by 9 per cent and firearms offences by 10 per cent to reach 11,082 in the year to the end of December.

Violence against the person in which injury was caused increased 16 per cent to 123,000 and where no injury was caused by six per cent to 124,000. Sexual offences increased by 18 per cent to 14,700, although some of the rise is a result of new offences being introduced, particularly in relation to children and internet.

Robbery fell by 6 per cent, domestic burglary by 17 per cent and vehicle thefts by 16 per cent. The continuing fall in domestic burglary and vehicle thefts reflects a 15-year campaign to introduce more security measures into houses and cars. It has been so successful for vehicle crime that criminals now break into houses to steal car keys.

Firearms offences rose by 10 per cent but the number involving fatal injuries fell from 77 to 70, serious injuries from 442 to 390 and threats from 6,600 to 5,952.

There were 3,268 incidents involving imitation firearms, such as BB guns, in the year, compared with 1,965 in the previous 12 months.

There was also a 10 per cent increase in incidents involving unidentified firearms and a 44 per cent rise in those categorised as “other firearms”, such as machineguns, CS gas, pepper sprays, stunguns, paintball guns and disguised firearms.

Mike Hough, of the Institute for Criminal Policy Research, said in a report released yesterday that the large increases in violent crime recorded by the police were largely artificial and reflected changes in recording practices.

He added: “Nevertheless, the statistics indicate that alcohol is becoming an increasingly obvious feature in violent incidents; incidents of this sort are not falling and there is a clear possibility that they are on the increase.”

BLAIR'S PHONE-IN CLASH WITH POLICE

A police officer criticised Tony Blair in a Radio Five Live phone-in for allegedly failing to put enough of police on the beat:

The officer, identified as Carl, from Boston, Lincolnshire: “Why is it that you continually make my job harder by telling the general public that there are more police officers than there has ever been, when for every police officer you have put in the rank and file on the street, you have probably put another four in offices?”

Mr Blair: “I speak to a lot of police officers, Carl, who don’t actually share that perspective and who actually believe that they are getting on top of the crime situation, difficult though it is.”

Carl: “I couldn’t give you one colleague who would share that view.”

Mr Blair: “Well I’m sorry that you can’t give me one . . . and I agree with you that we need more police officers out on the street.”

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