MORE than a third of adults have suffered a crime in the past year, much of which has gone unreported, according to the largest independent study into lawlessness.

The study, based on a sample of more than 17,000 people, suggests that no fewer than 17m Britons were victims of crime, from assaults to burglaries and vandalism.

Only half reported the offences to the police, indicating that the true scale of crime is far higher than official statistics show. Even when the police were summoned, victims complained that officers failed to respond in a fifth of cases, and said only 13% of the crimes were solved.

The study, which suggests there are at least 4m more offences than officially listed in the government’s figures, undermines claims by David Blunkett, the home secretary, that crime is under control.

It indicates that not only is there a “hidden” and unreported crime wave, but also that crime is increasing. The rate is eight percentage points higher than a similar official study, based on interviews with householders, published last summer.

Professor Mike Hough, director of the criminal policy research unit at South Bank University, said the results showed that people’s fear of crime was justified, despite claims that concerns were exaggerated.

“I used to say that fear of crime was a problem in its own right, but now I realise that people are right to worry,” he said.

“People who are at risk of burglary know who they are and are understandably concerned.”

More than 23,000 adults were questioned by e-mail about their experiences and attitudes in the study commissioned by The Sunday Times and conducted by Experian, a consumer research company. Of these, 17,052 responses were used to achieve a representative and statistically significant panel.

Just over 36% of those questioned said they had been the victim of at least one crime, and 20.5% were targeted twice or more by criminals in the past year. The most common crimes were vandalism (experienced in the past year by 15.7% of those questioned), thefts from cars (3.5%), house burglaries (2.1%) and fraud (3.3%).

The risk of being a victim is highest on the south coast and in the home counties, central Scotland and East Anglia. The safest areas are the southwest, Northern Ireland and the northeast.

The study mirrors the government’s British Crime Survey (BCS), which is based on quarterly interviews with 10,000 people drawn from a panel of 38,000 householders. The government study found 27.8% of people were victims of crime.

Statisticians believe the higher crime rate uncovered by the Experian study may be partly explained by a rise in crime since the last BCS in July 2002 and marginally more affluent interviewees. The BCS surveys only England and Wales, but Experian included Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Explore UK News

• Crime News

• Education News

• Health News

• Scotland News

Times Recommends

• The Times celebrates its 225th birthday
• Heath discussed IMF loan during 1974 crisis
• Britain’s loneliest café opens for business