SCOTLAND has the third highest murder rate in western Europe, according to a United Nations report.

The high murder rate, which experts say is being fuelled by the country’s “booze and blades” culture, is comparable with Azerbaijan, Israel and Iran. People living in Scotland are up to three times as likely to be killed than those in Italy and Denmark. Only Switzerland and Finland had higher homicide rates.

The study, conducted by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, shows that 130 people were murdered in 2004, equivalent to 2.56 homicides per 100,000 population. England and Wales were seventh on the list with a rate of 1.62 per 100,000.

The study is a setback for the Scottish executive, which is determined to reduce Scotland’s appalling record of violent crime. Last year there were 137 murders in Scotland, many of which involved knives.

“It’s horrific that Scotland has such a high murder rate,” said Margaret Mitchell, the Conservative justice spokeswoman.

“It is time for Cathy Jamieson (the justice minister) and the executive to reflect, take stock and make sure that sentences reflect the severity of the crime. People have to realise that if they take a life, they will go away for a very long time.”

The study compared murder rates from 2003-2004 across more than 60 countries. The level of homicides per 100,000 population ranged from 2.94 in Switzerland and 2.75 in Finland to 1.64 in France and 0.47 in Morocco. According to criminologists, the alarming murder rate in Switzerland is due to the high level of gun ownership. Finland’s high homicide rate is believed to be due to its liberal crime policy, where criminals are only jailed as a last resort.

The report confirms that Scotland has one of the fastest-rising murder rates in the world. The number of people killed in 2004 was up 40% on the previous year. Only the Palestinian territories recorded a faster rise over the same period — 145 people were killed in 2004, an increase of 54%.

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