Britain is witnessing a rise in pickpocketing and stealing incidents whereas killings have fallen to a 30-year-low, The Sun reported Friday.
According to the Crime Survey for England and Wales, pickpocketing soared 17 percent with roughly 1,700 “thefts from person” a day. Bag snatching, thefts from gardens, especially of furniture, and metal theft also rose.
However, official statistics revealed killings have fallen to the lowest level for almost 30 years, as police in Britain recorded 550 murders, manslaughters and infanticides in 2011-12, the lowest since 1983 and down from 638 as registered a year ago.
In England and Wales, homicides nearly halved since a peak of 1,047 in 2002-03.
According to the Office for National Statistics, two-thirds of the crimes were domestic incidents. Overall recorded crime fell four percent to under four million for the first time since 1989.
Policing Minister Nick Herbert, however, said it proved the link between the crime rate and budget cuts was “spurious”.
IANS